Today the Supreme Administrative Court is hearing a case that is crucial for the future of the state-owned coal-fired power plant Maritsa East 2. Back in 2019, Greenpeace Bulgaria and Environmental Association “For the Earth” filed the appeal against the government’s decision to allow the plant to operate in non-compliance with European emission standards for sulphur dioxide and mercury – pollutants that severely threaten the health of people in the region and beyond Bulgaria’s borders.
The Maritsa East 2 thermal power plant emits up to 2 times more sulphur dioxide than allowed when operating at full power. This can lead to more than 200 cases of premature death per year not only in Bulgaria but also in neighbouring countries such as Turkey, Greece and Romania.
In 2023, the plant spewed 523 kg of mercury into the air, and in 2022 a record 1,314 kg, making it the second largest mercury emitter in Europe, just behind Poland’s largest plant.
Electricity from Maritsa East 2 is 1.6 times more expensive than the current market price in Bulgaria – a burden that is offset by our electricity bills and state aid.
Despite the subsidies, coal-fired power generation is already uneconomic and lags behind in competing with new technologies.
Coal from the Maritsa Basin is so high in sulphur that the coal plants that burn it will never meet modern clean air standards, reports Greenpeace Bulgaria.
Today’s case is more than a legal case – it is directly related to the right of Bulgarian citizens to clean air, economic justice and a dignified energy transformation.
During the nearly six years of the case, it went to the Supreme Administrative Court, which requested consultation with the European Court of Justice, after which it was returned to the court in Stara Zagora and is now before the Supreme Court again. As the court saga continues, the trend that coal power is economically unprofitable is becoming more and more apparent and the phasing out of the power system should be urgently planned, the organization added.
“It’s time for government to acknowledge reality: the world is moving towards cleaner energy. The task of government is not to extend the life of polluting technologies, but to plan for a just transition – with care for people and communities affected by pollution and the climate crisis, new jobs and sustainable investment”, said Meglena Antonova, Director of Greenpeace Bulgaria.
Ninova: Another disgraceful day in parliament – they saved their immunities
