site.btaContourGlobal Maritsa East 3 TPP's Units 3 and 4 to Start Running Again in Q1 of 2025

Between January 1 and the end of March 2025, units three and four of the ContourGlobal Maritsa East 3 thermal power plant will resume operations, caretaker Minister of Energy Vladimir Malinov reported here on Tuesday during his visit to the plant. From early July 2025, the state's participation through the National Electricity Company (NEK) or another company of the Bulgarian Energy Holding group will be increased both as shareholding and operational management of the plant's two units.

Malinov said that the shareholders, NEK and the majority owner agreed to have a roadmap drawn in the long term. He added: "These are two units that are in good technical condition and can provide the necessary electricity, so that the balance in the Bulgarian electricity system can be maintained, and Bulgaria is not as dependent in terms of electricity imports."

The Minister said that there will be no blackouts in Bulgaria no matter the weather conditions. He added: "We are far away from such a scenario. What we want to do with the activation of ContourGlobal's third and fourth units is to improve the balance and security of our system and significantly reduce the potential of importing electricity from nearby markets."

Malinov pointed out that the planned annual maintenance of unit six of NPP-Kozloduy was completed on Tuesday. The unit is operating at full power, so the power plant is producing more than 2,000 megawatts of electricity for Bulgaria.

Maritsa East 3 TPP executive director Vassil Shtonov reported that preparations for the return of the staff that was laid off will start on Wednesday. He specified that at least 150 people need to be reemployed for the two units to become operational.

The ContourGlobal Maritsa East 3 TPP stopped feeding electricity to the national grid late February, after the plant's contract for electricity purchase with the National Electric Company expired. In March, the Labour Bureau in Stara Zagora reported that it received notification of the dismissal of 160 workers from the plant by May 10. A meeting took place at the Social Ministry between representatives of the Ministry, the executive director of the Employment Agency Smilen Valov, Shtonov and representatives of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB) and Podkrepa Labour Confederation. A decision was taken to start assessing the skills of the dismissed workers.

The National Electricity Company owns a 27% stake in the ContourGlobal Maritsa East 3 power plant.