July 8 (SeeNews) - Bulgarian public gas supplier Bulgargaz said it is proposing a rise in the wholesale natural gas price applicable for July to 186.47 levs ($96.76/95.34 euro) per MWh.
Last month, Bulgaria's utilities regulator approved a 13% monthly decrease in the wholesale price of natural gas for June to 141.36 levs per MWh, or below that of Russia's Gazprom which suspended deliveries to Bulgaria in late April.
Prices on European spot markets as of July 7 exceeded 175 euro ($177.6) per MWh, Buglargaz said in a statement on Thursday.
The EWRC rules at the end of each month on the proposed change in the wholesale price, at which Bulgargaz sells natural gas to end-suppliers and customers directly connected to its transmission network.
The gas interconnector with Greece, on which Bulgaria relies to reduce its near-total dependence on Russian gas supplies, is being formally commissioned on Friday, which is set to allow Bulgaria to import the entire volume of three billion cu m of natural gas contracted with Azerbaijan.
Bulgaria's sole gas storage facility Chiren is 35% full, public radio BNR reported earlier this week quoting outgoing energy minister Alexander Nikolov.
Under new rules adopted by the European Commission in March to guarantee energy supply amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, gas storage facilities in the EU must be 80% full by November 1, ahead of the upcoming heating season.
(1 euro = 1.95583 levs)
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