During a visit to the coal-fired thermal power plant Maritsa East 2, Bulgarian Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov underscored the critical role of the Maritsa East mining complex in ensuring the country’s energy supply. He announced that the complex is expected to provide nearly half of the electricity required for household consumption in Bulgaria, underlining its significance to the national energy network.
Minister Stankov emphasized that such a high level of output will support the long-term operations of the region’s power plants and help protect the jobs of more than 6,000 workers who rely on the complex for their livelihoods. He described the Maritsa basin as the foundation of Bulgaria’s energy system and reaffirmed his dedication to maintaining the financial stability and continued functioning of these essential facilities.
Looking to the future, he noted that with the recent liberalization of the wholesale electricity market, public tenders involving the state-owned energy sector will play a key role in ensuring stable electricity supplies for residential users. He stressed that the Maritsa East facilities will remain central to preserving the country’s energy reliability by delivering close to 50 percent of the electricity needed by households.