Bulgarian Energy Holding Group Jan-Aug Pre-Tax Profit Rises to 158 Mln Euro

BEH (www.bgenh.bg), set up in September 2008, incorporates assets of Bulgaria's sole nuclear power plant Kozloduy, gas monopoly Bulgargaz, gas transmission system operator Bulgartransgaz, telecommunications operator Bulgartel, power grid operator NEK and its wholly-owned system operator ESO, coal-fired power plant Maritsa East 2 and the Maritsa East coal mines. Group assets exceed 10 billion levs and it employs some 22,000 people.

In August alone the combined profit of the companies in the group was 53.2 million levs, mainly thanks to the good financial results of Kozloduy, Maritsa East 2, Bulgargaz and Bulgartransgaz, BEH said in a statement.

Bulgaria's centre-right government led by Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, which ousted from power a Socialist-led tripartite coalition in the July 5 elections, has said the energy megastructure was absolutely redundant and should be closed down.

(1 euro = 1.95583 Bulgarian levs)