Electricity Trade

NEK EAD is a major player in the electricity market of Bulgaria, operating on both regulated and non-regulated markets.

The Company carries out wholesale trade on the non-regulated market through the segments of IBEX (Independent Bulgarian Energy Exchange), as well as sales oriented to the specific needs of the end consumers of electricity.

NEK EAD performs commercial activities in its capacity as:

  • Electricity Producer
  • Public Supplier and Special Balancing Group Coordinator
  • Supplier of Last Resort and Special Balancing Group Coordinator
  • Electricity Trader and Standard Balancing Group Coordinator.

Advantages of NEK EAD

  • The largest electricity company in Bulgaria, producer of electricity from renewable sources and trader of electricity with many years of experience;
  • Founder of electricity foreign trade in Bulgaria. Potential and experience in cross-border trade of electricity;
  • Key player in the processes of electricity market liberalization in the country;
  • Trading on the regional electricity markets, import from and export to neighbouring countries;
  • Ensuring liquidity and active participation in the stock exchange market organized in the country;
  • Offering products that ensure competitiveness and meet customer requirements;
  • Guaranteeing security of supplies - as a producer of electricity, NEK EAD provides its supplies by its own 31 HPPs and PSHPPs with total installed capacities of 2 737 MW in turbine mode and 931 MW in pumping mode;
  • Many years of experience and professionalism in electricity supply;
  • Long-term relations established, loyal partnership and fairness to consumers, producers and traders;
  • Carrying out centralized purchases and sales of electricity;
  • Supplies of electricity to consumers connected to the transmission and distribution networks;
  • The Company is guided by market principles in electricity trading through an open, transparent and non-discriminatory mechanism.

Main Activities

The electricity trading is carried out on the grounds of a Licence for Electricity Trade №           Л-230-15/04.06.2007, supplemented with the rights and obligations of a standard balancing group coordinator, in accordance with EWRC's Decision  № И1-Л-230 of 18.08.2014 and extended by EWRC's Decision № И2-Л-230 of 15.09.2016 for a period up to 04.06.2027.

Trading on the Wholesale Market

Having many years of experience in electricity supply, NEK EAD is an active player in the electricity markets in the country and the Region.

For decades NEK-Trader has been concluding deals at freely negotiated prices with end customers, wholesale and retail traders. The main customers of NEK-Trader are consumers & producers connected to the transmission and distribution networks, other market players from the EU and neighboring countries.

Trading on the Retail Market  

Supplier of electricity to end customers and a standard balancing group coordinator:

  • NEK EAD-Trader can conclude deals with end customers at freely negotiated prices and can perform together with or separately from the supply the functions of a balancing group coordinator;
  • Given the existing strong sanctioning administratively determined prices on the balancing market for shortage and surplus, in order to reduce the economic consequences of balancing energy prices on our end customers, NEK EAD, as a standard balancing group coordinator, guarantees stable costs for balancing, applying non-discriminatory rules to all consumers, traders and producers in the standard balancing group of NEK-Trader.

Commercial relations with RES producers and HE CHP producers

  • Art. 100, para. 6 of the Energy Act gives an alternative to the RES (renewable energy sources) producers and HE CHP (high efficiency cogeneration) producers with installed capacity of over 1 MW to limit their risk of independent sales of electrical energy on the stock exchange market, as well as to minimize their costs for balancing by participation in a balancing group.

Certification in electricity trading

NEK EAD applies an integrated management system (IMS) in accordance with the standards BDS EN ISO 9001:2015, BDS EN ISO 14001:2015 and BDS ISO 45001:2018 in the following range “Construction and commissioning of HPPs, PSHPPs and Hydraulic Facilities. Operation and Maintenance of Hydraulic Facilities. Production of electricity by HPPs and PSHPPs. Public supply of electricity. Electricity trading and a standard balancing group coordinator. Electricity supply from a supplier of last resort (SLR) and a special balancing group coordinator. Decommissioning of Hydraulic Facilities, HPPs and PSHPPs.”   Certificate № 01 100 1620081