Business ·
Quiet Saturday, no new plants – Debelt steel mill waits for billets
No new plants or job cuts with figures have been reported in Bulgaria since Saturday morning. The Debelt steel mill runs only two weeks a month. The table total stays at EUR 477.5m.
Total of projects with stated value477.5EUR m
New jobs (stated)2,580
New entries since 17 Oct morning (incl. late addition)2
Registered unemployment, end-Sep 20265.43% −0.04 %
Over the weekend, news agencies and business media in Bulgaria reported no new plants, groundbreakings or job cuts with figures. The total of projects with a stated value in the table therefore stays at EUR 477.5m, and the number of stated new jobs at 2,580.
Late addition: the steel mill in Debelt (Burgas province) has received hardly any billets since August. Billets are steel bars used, for example, to roll rebar. They come by ship from Ukraine to Burgas. About 60,000 tonnes are stuck, and the plant works only about two weeks a month. Nikola Rangelov, head of the metals industry association, said this on Bulgarian National Radio on Friday. He did not say how many workers are affected.
Agriculture Minister Plamen Abrovski told BTA on Saturday that the European Commission has approved EUR 170m in state aid for farmers hit by expensive fuel and fertiliser. Fuel aid of about EUR 100m will be paid first. This is aid, not investment, and is not in the total. Meat processors named high power and fuel prices as their main worry on the same day.
The latest structural data remain: registered unemployment at the end of September 5.43% (Employment Agency, 16 Oct), inflation in September 5.7% (statistics office NSI, 14 Oct).
| Region | Company / project | Sector | Amount (EUR m) | Jobs (− = cuts) | Status / date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burgas (Debelt) | Steel plant in Debelt – hardly any steel billets from Ukraine since August; runs only about 2 weeks a month | Metallurgy / steel | – | – | NEW (late addition): N. Rangelov (metals association BAMI) on BNR, 16 Oct 2026 (Novini247/3e-news, 13:01); Novinite, 17 Oct 2026, 13:25; about 60,000 t of billets stuck; Pernik plant less affected; jobs not stated – not in total |
| Nationwide (announced in Golyamo Dryanovo near Kazanlak) | EUR 170m state aid for farmers hit by higher fuel and fertiliser prices (fuel scheme first, about EUR 100m) | Agriculture / state aid | – | – | NEW: Minister Plamen Abrovski to BTA, 17 Oct 2026, 14:55; European Commission has approved the aid; aid, not investment – not in total |
| Blagoevgrad (Gotse Delchev) | Pirinplast AD – new extrusion line for polypropylene fluted sheets (width up to 2,100 mm) | Plastics / packaging | 2.0 | – | commissioning reported 16 Oct 2026 (Pirin Info, Standart); EUR 2m – in total; over 95% exported; jobs not stated |
| Stara Zagora (Kazanlak) | TsVP – Kazanlak EOOD – defence technology centre with 8 labs (EU Just Transition Fund) | Defence / research | 43.5 | 60 | 3e-news, 15 Oct 2026, 14:48; EUR 43.47m – in total; about 60 scientists needed (per Dimitar Kirkov) – in job count; construction by end-2028, equipment 2029 |
| Burgas | Lukoil Neftochim Burgas and other Lukoil subsidiaries – US extends general licence to 24 Apr 2027 | Refining / fuels | – | – | BTA, 16 Oct 2026, 07:14; continued operation, not a new investment – not in total; sanctions on Lukoil remain; staff numbers not given |
| Nationwide | 13 state-backed projects (IPA; companies and regions not named) | Various sectors | 266.3 | 1,840 | Council of Ministers decision of 14 Oct 2026 (BTA); amount and jobs are investor commitments ("about"); aid amount not stated |
| Belovo and Velingrad municipalities (eastern Rila) / Chaira PSHPP | NEK – Yadenitsa dam and reversible tunnel to Chaira reservoir: state guarantees up to EUR 228.1m | Energy / storage | – | – | decision of 14 Oct 2026, guarantees in 2027 budget; loan guarantee, not project value – not in total; tender value EUR 350m excl. VAT (Mediapool) |
| Sofia province (Novi Han, Elin Pelin municipality) | dormakaba (Switzerland) – new plant for automatic entrance systems (revolving and sliding doors), over 22,000 m² | Engineering / building technology | – | 200 | opened 8 Oct 2026, reported 13 Oct 2026 (Standart, DBR); team to exceed 200 people; amount not disclosed – not in total |
| Sofia province (Elin Pelin) | Izida Ceramica – tile plant expansion and upgrade, new SACMI CONTINUA+ line (capacity from 6.5m to c. 11m m²/year) | Building materials / ceramics | 20.0 | – | company statement 13 Oct 2026 (Money.bg; Standart 14 Oct); "over EUR 20m" – counted as 20; timing and jobs not given |
| Nationwide (stated in Albena, Dobrich province) | Investment Programme for municipal projects – EUR 101m paid out in one month (over 560 payments, over 300 projects) | Public funding / municipal infrastructure | – | – | 12 Oct 2026 (BTA); contracts for 2,370 of 3,492 projects; payouts, not a new project – not in total |
| Nationwide (announced in Sliven) | Innovation Ministry – nearly EUR 83m for green technology in micro, small and medium firms (Ivan Vasilev) | Funding / SMEs, green technology | – | – | 10 Oct 2026 (BTA); machinery, equipment, software; programme, not a project – not in total; application date not given |
| Sliven / south-east Bulgaria | Fund of Funds – over EUR 120m for projects in south-eastern Bulgaria (stated by Alexander Poulev at Sliven forum) | Funding / infrastructure, SMEs | – | – | 10 Oct 2026; funding pool, not a single project – not in total; no companies or jobs named |
| Sofia province (Pirdop) | Aurubis Bulgaria – copper tankhouse expansion, EU strategic project | Metallurgy / raw materials | – | – | EU status 9 Oct 2026; per DBR (14 Oct 2026) cathode copper up c. 50% to 340,000 t/year; EUR 120m investment already announced in 2023 (not in total); no job figure |
| Stara Zagora (Kazanlak) | Arsenal AD – new automated nitrocellulose line (part of a programme of over EUR 300m) | Defence | – | – | opened 8 Oct 2026, reported 9 Oct; whole programme over EUR 300m (not in total – cost of the line not given); no job figure |
| Shumen (near Smyadovo) | Karash Invest – planned gunpowder plant, added to list of strategic sites | Defence | – | – | Council of Ministers decision of 7 Oct 2026; amount and jobs not stated |
| Burgas / Karlovo (Plovdiv province) | Rheinmetall – gunpowder and 155mm ammunition plants | Defence | – | – | Per Mediapool (5 Oct 2026) gunpowder plant moves to Burgas; per Valentin Radev unclear how far the ammunition plant near Karlovo will go ahead (c. 1,000 jobs expected there) |
| Sliven (industrial park) | Sugarland – warehouse and trade base (4,976 m² plot) | Food and drinks distribution | 0.7 | 10 | Reported 2 Oct 2026; construction to start within 12 months, completion within 36 |
| Nationwide | Textile, clothing and leather industry (BATOK) – firms cutting staff, closing | Textiles and clothing | – | – | Letter to PM and 8 ministers (2 Oct 2026), reported again 5 Oct 2026; no specific figures |
| Veliko Tarnovo (Lyaskovets) | Armako Industries – production expansion | Metal and plastic parts | 50.0 | – | Planned, announced 2 Oct 2026 (over EUR 50m) |
| Dobrich | Magic Flame – Klas Olio: sunflower oil and meal plant | Food processing | 20.0 | 60 | Opened 25 Sep 2026; 60 jobs (other report: 100) |
| Ruse | Bulmarket Group – LVZ industrial park (over EUR 60m; over 210 staff) | Rail equipment | 60.0 | 210 | Opened 1 Oct 2026 |
| Kardzhali | VESS Modules – solar module plant (1 GW/year) | Solar manufacturing | 15.0 | 200 | Opened 1 Oct 2026; c. 300 jobs at full capacity |
| Indicator | vs prior month (%; industry and construction seasonally adj.) | vs year earlier (%) | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| Newly registered firms, Q3 2026 (7,968; col. 1: vs prior quarter) | −29.7 % | −31.0 % | 16 Oct 2026 |
| Firms declared insolvent/bankrupt, Q3 2026 (791; col. 1: vs prior quarter) | −18.1 % | −22.1 % | 16 Oct 2026 |
| Job vacancies, Q2 2026 (18,700; rate 0.8%) | – | −10.8 % | 16 Oct 2026 |
| Inflation (CPI), September 2026 – final | −0.2 % | +5.7 % | 14 Oct 2026 |
| Inflation (HICP, EU method), September 2026 | 0.0 % | +5.6 % | 14 Oct 2026 |
| Industrial production, August 2026 | +0.7 % | −5.4 % | 9 Oct 2026 |
| – manufacturing, August 2026 | +0.8 % | −6.1 % | 9 Oct 2026 |
| – energy (power, heat, gas), August 2026 | +10.7 % | +42.4 % | 9 Oct 2026 |
| – mining and quarrying, August 2026 | −19.7 % | −54.1 % | 9 Oct 2026 |
| Industrial production, July 2026 | −3.0 % | −6.8 % | 9 Oct 2026 (per BTA) |
| Construction output, August 2026 | +0.8 % | +4.2 % | 9 Oct 2026 |
| Retail sales, August 2026 (comparable prices) | +0.3 % | +5.9 % | 7 Oct 2026 |
| Region | Registered, September 2026 (Employment Agency) | Registered, August 2026 | Labour Force Survey 2025 (NSI) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bulgaria | 5.43 | 5.47 | 3.5 |
| Yambol | 5.20 | – | – |
| Stara Zagora | – | 4.93 | – |
| Dobrich | – | 4.20 | – |
| Veliko Tarnovo (labour office area) | – | 4.00 | – |
For information only, not investment advice. Prices as of the time stated, not real-time quotes.
Sources
- Novinite – Black Sea Disruptions Leave Bulgarian Steel Plant Without Billets (17.10.2026, 13:25)
- Novini247 (nach 3e-news/BNR) – Schiffsprobleme im Schwarzen Meer, Werk Debelt, 60.000 t (16.10.2026, 13:01)
- BTA – EUR 170 Mln State Aid to Support Farmers Hit by Fuel, Fertilizer Price Rises (17.10.2026, 14:55)
- BTA – High Electricity and Fuel Prices Main Concern for Meat Processors (17.10.2026, 16:34)
- BTA – Economy (Übersicht 17.10.2026, keine neuen Werke/Projekte)
- Mediapool – Новините от деня (17./18.10.2026, keine neuen Werke/Projekte)
- Pirin Info – Pirinplast nimmt Hightech-Linie in Betrieb, 2 Mio. Euro (16.10.2026)
- Standart – Pirinplast, Goze Deltschew, 2 Mio. Euro (16.10.2026, 17:24)
- BTA – Registrierte Arbeitslosigkeit Ende September 2026: 5,43 %, 154.096 Personen (16.10.2026, 17:21)
- BTA – Nearly 14,000 unemployed start work in September, vacancies +12 % (16.10.2026, 18:00)
- BTA – Jambol: Arbeitslosigkeit September 2026 5,2 % (16.10.2026, 18:06)
- BTA – NSI: Offene Stellen 2. Quartal 2026: 18.700, −10,8 % J/J (16.10.2026, 12:18)
- DBR – NSI: Neue Firmen 3. Quartal 2026 −31 %, Insolvenzen −22 % (16.10.2026)
- BTA – Pulew in Baltimore: Forum Rüstung/Raumfahrt, keine Projekte genannt (16.10.2026, 18:02)
- 3e-news – Kasanlak: Zentrum für Verteidigungstechnik, 43,47 Mio. Euro (15.10.2026, 14:48)
- Novinite – Eurostat: Industrieproduktion Bulgarien August −5,4 % J/J, +0,8 % M/M (16.10.2026)
- BTA – US extends authorization for transactions with Lukoil's foreign subsidiaries until 24 April 2027 (16.10.2026, 07:14)
- Fakti.bg – USA verlängern Lizenz für Lukoil in Bulgarien bis 2027, betroffene Firmen (15.10.2026, 22:28)
- BTA – Pulew in Washington: bereit für gemeinsame Produktion, keine Projekte genannt (15.10.2026, 11:35)
- BTA – Regierung schlägt Mindestlohn 660 Euro für 2027 vor, Entwurf (15.10.2026, 08:49)
- Money.bg – Izida Ceramica: über 20 Mio. Euro für Werk bei Sofia (13.10.2026, 12:25)
- Standart – Izida Ceramica, Elin Pelin, über 20 Mio. Euro (14.10.2026, 07:59)
- BTA – Kabinett unterstützt 13 Investitionsprojekte, rund 266.310.000 Euro, rund 1840 Stellen (14.10.2026, 17:52)
- Trud – Beschlüsse des Ministerrats vom 14.10.2026 (13 Projekte, Garantien NEK)
- Ruse.news – 13 Investitionsprojekte: Zusage für 1840 Stellen (14.10.2026, 18:34)
- BTA – Staatsgarantien für PSW Tschaira als strategisches Energieprojekt, bis 228.086.452 Euro (14.10.2026, 17:58)
- Mediapool – Staatsgarantien 228 Mio. Euro für Stausee Jadeniza; Wert des Vergabeverfahrens 350 Mio. Euro (14.10.2026, 19:50)
- Eurocom – Kabinettsbeschlüsse: Mehrausgaben 2026 und Garantien für PSW Tschaira (14.10.2026, 17:43)
- NEK – Öffentliche Anhörung zum UVP-Bericht Projekt Jadeniza: Gemeinden Belowo und Welingrad, Ost-Rila (22.6.2017)
- DBR – Aurubis: 50 % mehr Kupfer in Pirdop, Stromversorgung (14.10.2026)
- BTA – Inflation September 2026: −0,2 % M/M, 5,7 % J/J; HVPI 0,0 % / 5,6 % (14.10.2026, 11:43)
- Euronews Bulgaria – NSI: 5,7 % Jahresinflation im September (14.10.2026)
- Standart – Neues Werk bei Sofia: dormakaba in Nowi Han, über 200 Beschäftigte, eröffnet 8.10. (13.10.2026, 17:38)
- DBR – Über 200 Arbeitsplätze: neues Werk für automatische Türen in Nowi Han (13.10.2026)
- BTA – Bürgermeister und Staat in Albena: 101 Mio. Euro in einem Monat für über 300 Gemeindeprojekte (12.10.2026, 14:21)
- BTA – Fast 83 Mio. Euro für grüne Technologien in KMU, Minister Wassilew (10.10.2026, 14:16)
- 24 Chasa – Pulew: über 120 Mio. Euro aus dem Fonds der Fonds für Südostbulgarien (10.10.2026, 15:41)
- Standart – Sliwen: Mittlerer Korridor, 120 Mio. Euro, Forum mit Pulew (10.10.2026, 17:35)
- Economic.bg – Kupfer aus Pirdop in EU-Rohstoffplänen, 120 Mio. Euro, 230.000→340.000 t (9.10.2026, 16:45)
- Club Z – Pirdop-Projekt erhält EU-Strategiestatus (9.10.2026, 11:22)
- BTA – New Nitrocellulose Plant at Arsenal (9.10.2026, 10:45)
- 24 Chasa – Pulew eröffnet Nitrozellulose-Anlage bei Arsenal (9.10.2026)
- News.bg – Neue Nitrozellulose-Anlage bei Arsenal (9.10.2026)
- Dir.bg – Arsenal investiert über 300 Mio. Euro (9.10.2026)
- novini247 – Pulew bei Arsenal, Eröffnung „gestern“ (9.10.2026)
- Standart – Über 300 Mio. Investitionen bei Arsenal (9.10.2026)
- ShumenOnline – Karash Invest in Liste strategischer Objekte (7.10.2026)
- Novinite – Gunpowder plant near Smyadovo approved (8.10.2026)
- BTA – Industrieproduktion August 2026: −5,4 % J/J, +0,7 % M/M (9.10.2026, 11:21)
- BTA – Bauproduktion August 2026: +4,2 % J/J (9.10.2026, 11:33)
- Investor.bg – Industrieproduktion August (9.10.2026)
- NSI – Pressemitteilungen: Einzelhandelsumsatz August 2026 +0,3 % zum Vormonat (7.10.2026)
- BTA – Einzelhandelsumsatz August 2026: +0,3 % M/M, +5,9 % J/J (NSI, 7.10.2026, 11:21)
- Mediapool – Fragen um das Rheinmetall-Werk; Munitionswerk bleibt bei Karlowo (5.10.2026)
- Plovdiv24 – Textilbranche: Firmen bauen ab und schließen (5.10.2026)
- Focus – BATOK-Brief an Premier und 8 Minister (2.10.2026)
- Blitz – Näherei-Firmen bauen ab und schließen (3.10.2026)
- Standart – Sugarland, Industriepark Sliwen, 700.000 Euro (2.10.2026)
- BTA – Pulew: Rheinmetall-Werk binnen 30 Monaten (4.10.2026)
- BTA – Registrierte Arbeitslosigkeit August 2026: 5,47 % (17.9.2026)
- BTA – Weliko Tarnowo: Arbeitslosigkeit August 4 % (16.9.2026)
- KarlovoPress – Pulew: Rheinmetall-Werk binnen 30 Monaten (5.10.2026)
- Focus – Pulew: neues Gelände bei Burgas für Rheinmetall (2.10.2026)
- Burgasnews – Pulverwerk Rheinmetall bei Burgas (4.10.2026)
- Mediapool – Kabinett verlegt Rheinmetall-Werk nach Burgas (2.10.2026)
- Standart – Armako Industries Ljaskowez (3.10.2026)
- Economic.bg – Direktinvestitionen Jan.–Juli 2026: 3,45 Mrd. Euro, BNB (18.9.2026)
- Standart – VESS Modules Kardschali, ca. 200 Stellen (2.10.2026)
- Standart – Bulmarket LVZ Russe (2.10.2026)
- Fakti.bg – Armako Industries, über 50 Mio. Euro (2.10.2026)
- RegNews – Pulew bei Armako in Ljaskowez (2.10.2026)
- DBR – Armako Ljaskowez (3.10.2026)
- 24 Chasa – Werk Magic Flame – Klas Olio, Dobritsch (25.9.2026)
- Novinite – Dobrich plant, 60 jobs (26.9.2026)
- BTA – Bulmarket LVZ Ruse (1.10.2026)
- Money.bg – VESS Modules Kardzhali (1.10.2026)
- BTA – Rheinmetall project (2.10.2026)
- BTA – Stara Zagora unemployment August 2026
- BTA – Dobrich unemployment August 2026
- NSI – Arbeitskräfteerhebung 2025 (Bulgarien, 3,5 %)
- novini247 – Direktinvestitionen Jan.–Juli 2026 (3,448 Mrd., davon 2,622 Mrd. reinvestiert; BNB vorläufig)
- NSI – Inflation September 2026, Schnellschätzung: 5,6 % J/J, −0,3 % M/M; endgültig am 14.10.2026 (1.10.2026)
- Economic.bg – Bulgaria Receives a Six-Month Extension of the Lukoil Exemption (bis 24.4.2027; vier bulgarische Lukoil-Firmen)
