Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev, Economy and Energy Minister Peter Dimitrov and Environment and Water Minister Djevdet Chakurov unveiled Monday the desulphurization plant of Units 1 and 2 at Maritza East TPP, BTA reported. The new plant is equipped with a 135 m stack.

The facility, unique for the Balkans, has been under construction since 2004 and is made of reinforced plastic and resin. The same construction will be used for the stack of the desulphurization plant for Units 3 and 4.

The efficiency of the new plants will exceed 94% and this will largely reduce the emission of harmful substances in the atmosphere. When the rehabilitation of Unit 4 is completed by the end of the year, together with Unit 3 it will provide an additional 350 MW of power during the winter season, Stanishev said.

The rehabilitation of Units 5 and 6 also has been completed ahead of schedule and Unit 3 was put into operation today. It has a new turbine and a Toshiba generator, with nominal power increased from 150 to 170 MW.

The project is worth 228 million euro and includes rehabilitation of units 1, 2, 3 and 4, development of two desulphurization plants and upgrade of Units 5 and 6. Maritza East 2 generates about 17 per cent of the power in Bulgaria.

Photo: Presidential Press Service