In a Nutshell

• Bulgaria’s scenarios forecast GHG emissions reductions of 80% to 95% to reach climate neutrality by 2050. The remaining emissions will need to be compensated by removals. Some of these forecasts also mention BECCS.
• Geological CO₂ storage is allowed in Bulgaria.
• There are two major CCS project in Bulgaria, which cover the whole value chain, from capture at cement plants to permanent geological CO₂ storage under the Black Sea in one case and onshore in saline aquifers in the other.
• Bulgaria’s NECP mostly implements EU laws and targets, but the interim reports on its Long Term Climate Change Mitigation Strategy may lead to revisions providing more specificity.

Role for carbon removal in national climate policy

Bulgaria is the European Union’s most carbon-intensive economy. Bulgaria’s NECP highlights forests as the biggest carbon sink in the land-use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) sector.

Bulgaria’s Long-Term Climate Mitigation Strategy until 2050 is primarily built around scenarios aiming to help the country reach climate neutrality by 2050. In these scenarios,  the use of carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) is expected to come into play after 2035 for the iron, steel, chemical and cement industries. CCS is also used in electricity generation in gas-powered, but not coal-powered plants. Bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) is included in the models as well.

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Relevant legal frameworks

The Climate Change Mitigation Act stipulates that a substantial share of auction revenues of all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions allowances allocated to Bulgaria through the EU Emission Trading System should finance various measures such as forest carbon sequestration and carbon capture and storage (CCS) in geological formations.

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Support for R&D and Innovation

The ANRAV project, directed by Heidelberg Materials, received a EUR 190 million grant from the Innovation Fund. It aims to capture about 0.8MtCO₂ per year starting 2028 and would be the first full-chain CCUS project in Bulgaria, covering capture, transport, geological storage and reuse. The capture will take place at a cement plant and the CO₂ will be transported through pipelines to a storage location situated under the Black Sea. Constructions of a pilot plant began in October 2023. Once built, the demonstration phase will last 12 to 24 months before the full-scale plant is built.

According to a limited number of studies, Bulgaria has an estimated CO₂ storage capacity of at least 2.6Gt, which, based on Bulgaria’s current CO₂ emissions represents storage for roughly 79 years’ worth of emissions.

On the horizon

An assessment of progress in implementing the measures set out in the Long Term Climate Change Mitigation Strategy’s Action Plan is expected in 2025 and 2031 respectively. On the basis of the interim reports, a coordination board will assess the need to revise the strategy and make appropriate recommendations for updating it where necessary.