Local subsidiary of US company ContourGlobal, the operator of coal-fired thermal power plant Maritsa East 3, said that the plant has generated 11.8 % of electricity produced in Bulgaria in the first nine months of 2022.
The statement from the company said that the electricity produced by the plant was enough to cover the needs of 1.3 million Bulgarian households in the first nine months of the year, or roughly half of the country.
According to data published by electricity transmission system operator ESO, total electricity generation in Bulgaria in the first nine months of 2022 amounted to 35.41 TWh, which is an increase of 14.84 % year-on-year.
ContourGlobal Maritsa East 3 owns and operates the first lignite coal-fired thermal power plant in southeastern Europe, which operates in full compliance with the highest European standards for occupational safety and environmental protection. The 908 MW plant generates about 10 % of the electricity in Bulgaria, using local energy sources and thus contributes to guaranteeing the energy security and independence of the country. The plant produced 11 % of Bulgaria’s electricity in 2020 (4.55 TWh).
The shareholders are ContourGlobal with 73 % stake and the National Electricity Company (NEK) with 27 % stake.