Staff employed by gas companies in Bulgaria numbers about 2900, and is expected to reach some 6000 as a result of the gas supply growth.
In spite of Master’s Degrees in Heat Supply and Gas Supply in the Technical University in Ruse, Gas Supply at the University of Mining and Geology, Sofia, specialty Heat Supply and Gas Supply at the Technical College, Yambol, as well as 16 Vocational high schools and 37 Vocational Training Centres of Gas Technology (Attachment 1), the level of the new recruits in the gas companies falls short of contemporary requirements. There is not enough necessary equipment, textbooks, well-qualified instructors and cutting edge training methods.
Works involving construction, operation, repair and maintenance of equipment, installations and appliances performed by incompetent people harbour hazards and may discredit gasification as a process. Therefore, staff in the gas sector needs to be certified in order to meet the gas companies’ requirements. Except for a few companies implementing modern materials and technologies, on the whole this process is lagging behind. One of the reasons is the lack of information and a unit developing pilot projects. Moreover, gas supply is also subject to a contradictory and incomplete legal framework. BANG members joining efforts may promote an efficient solution to the sector issues!
Compared to the EU members with developed gas supply Bulgaria has the lowest ratio of gas transmission grid to gas distribution grid. We will achieve parameters comparable to the EU ones only after 15 000 кm distribution grid is put in place. In terms of number of consumers we also rank at the bottom line of the list. The number of consumers in Bulgaria is expected to reach 800 000 -1 000 000.
WHAT DOES THE GAS SECTOR NEED TO REACH AVERAGE EUROPEAN LEVEL?
- Highly qualified professional staff;
- Harmonisation with European requirements of the legal framework and application of good gas practices;
- Implementation of innovative efficient technologies and techniques;
- State energy policy;
- Efficient sectoral organisation - BANG.
The experience of US, Russia and EU countries suggests that a solution to the above problems would necessitate consolidation of the gas companies and government bodies.
