site.btaMarch 25, 1971: Petrochemical Plant Goes into Operation near Pleven in N Bulgaria

On March 25, 1971, the Petrochemical Complex was inaugurated near Pleven in northern Bulgaria.

The first-sod ceremony took place on April 12, 1967. Construction began on July 27, 1967. In 1969, the first installation of the plant became operational, and by 1973, it was working at full capacity. The first gasoline produced by the Petrochemical Complex was produced on December 30, 1969.

In 1993, the plant was renamed Plama and was still a state-owned company and on December 22, 1999, it was renamed Nova Plama. The company declared insolvency in 1998. On April 16, 2014, the Pleven District Court closed the insolvency proceedings of Nova Plama and ordered the removal of the company from the commercial register.

Following is part of the original caption for a photo from the construction of Plama, dated August 30, 1970:

Tense days in the construction of the Petrochemical Complex near Pleven

The builders and assembly workers at one of the major facilities of the national chemical industry - the Petrochemical Complex near the city of Pleven - are in a race against time. In the days leading up to the Day of Freedom [September 9], they have firmly committed to fulfilling their tasks with honor and completing the projects on schedule. The main project due for commissioning is the mineral oil plant. The final commissioning deadline - by the end of the year - is for the completion and phased delivery into operation of its sub-units: the de-asphalting plant, the de-waxing plant, and the oil purification plant. The oil block is of significant economic importance to our country. With an annual production of 10,000 tons of mineral oils, it will eliminate the import of these products.