The “St. St. Constantine and Helena” resort brought together leading engineers, scientists, and energy business representatives during the traditional “Energy Forum 2026.” The discussions focused on topical issues such as national security, the future of the “Maritsa Iztok” energy complex, and the necessary steps toward achieving energy independence.

For the CERB team, the event held at the International House of Scientists “Fr. Joliot-Curie” served as an opportunity to exchange practical experience with experts from the Technical University of Sofia, the Technical University of Varna, the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS), and the industry.

On June 24, Dr. Eng. Ivan Zhelyazkov moderated the plenary session, where the focus was placed on one of the most critical issues facing the sector: maintaining the stability of the transmission grid in Bulgaria and Europe during the integration of new power capacities.

During the forum, Eng. Stefka Mancheva, Manager of the Central Chemical Laboratory at CERB and a PhD candidate, presented a report titled “Transformer Oil Analysis as a Tool for Fault Prediction and Risk Assessment in Transformers.” She argued for the necessity of regular laboratory analysis of transformer oil as the primary step in the maintenance process of transformer assets.

Eng. Krasimir Kolev, Head of the Rotating Electrical Machines Department, also took an active part in the discussions, emphasizing the rehabilitation and life extension of generators in major Bulgarian power plants.

The forum reaffirmed the role of expert dialogue in the energy sector. During the event, a petition in support of coal-fired energy was discussed, and scientists from the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) highlighted the importance of battery energy storage systems.

For CERB GROUP, participation in these debates is essential to ensure that the technical solutions the company offers to its clients align with the current state and challenges of the Bulgarian energy system.