The operator of thermal power plant Varna is seeking for a 35-year extension of the plant’s operational license, according to the Bulgarian Commission for Energy and Water Regulation (KEVR).
The plant’s current 20-year license for electricity production will expire in March 2021 and KEVR said that it will discuss the request by the end of the month.
TPP Varna currently operates three units with 210 MW power output each, while its units 1, 2 and 3 were decommissioned in 2017, decreasing the plants installed capacity from 1,260 MW to 630 MW.
In October 2017, Czech CEZ announced that it has sold its Bulgarian coal-fired thermal power plant, which was out of operation at the moment, to local company SIGDA. SIGDA’s offer was evaluated as best of all received in the tender, while the final purchase price will be determined as of closing of the transaction based on the level of working capital. TPP Varna has been out of operation since January 2015 and the plant itself does not have significant value but the land and the existing port facilities attracted the attention of potential investors. In 2018, SIGDA said that electricity production at the plant should be resumed in the second half of the year. The plan is to start the production with just one unit at first, while the production at the other two would be resumed at the later stage.
