• Minister of Environment and Water Rositsa Karamfilova explained the rationale behind the measure in a joint statement to journalists with Minister of Energy Iva Petrova

The Regional Inspectorate for Environment and Water - Sofia imposed a compulsory administrative measure (CAM) on “TPP Bobov Dol” AD, suspending production operations at Power Boiler 2. It is one of the three power boilers that make up the company’s combustion plant for the production of electricity and heat.

Minister of Environment and Water Rositsa Karamfilova explained the rationale behind the measure in a joint statement to journalists with Minister of Energy Iva Petrova.

In recent months, the Ministry of Environment and Water has received dozens of reports regarding a series of systematic violations of environmental legislation and the standards stipulated in the Integrated Permit for the Bobov Dol Thermal Power Plant.

In recent days, specifically on May 13 and 16 of this year, inspections were conducted during which uncontrolled emissions into the atmosphere were once again detected, originating from the building housing the power plant’s boilers.

Significant amounts of fugitive emissions were also detected from the flue gas ducts of Power Boiler 2 in the section near the exhaust fans, upstream of the desulfurization plant. Under environmental legislation, it is impermissible and prohibited to discharge flue gases before they pass through the appropriate desulfurization facilities.

Furthermore, it was found that flue gases were being discharged through an exhaust device intended for use only during transitional operating modes of the plant, yet during the inspections, the plant was not operating in such a transitional mode.

Minister Karamfilova reported that from 2020 to the present, the company has been issued 117 violation notices and fines totaling over 9 million leva, but the fines confirmed and collected to date account for only a very small portion of that amount—approximately 2 million leva. Since the beginning of this year alone, 29 inspections have been conducted, and 13 violation notices for breaches of environmental legislation have been issued so far, but these have not achieved the necessary effect.

The forced shutdown of Boiler 2 comes at a time when the Bobov Dol Thermal Power Plant has confirmed that repair work has been carried out on Boiler 3, and at present, Power Boiler 1 is undergoing repairs in accordance with the company’s proposed program of short-term remedial measures to “bring the plant into compliance with the terms of the Integrated Permit and to cease exceedances of air quality standards in the area surrounding the plant.”

Energy Minister Iva Petrova presented arguments related to the stability of the energy system.

“Together with our colleagues from the Electricity System Operator (ESO), we ran various simulations of operating modes and determined that, in order to ensure an uninterrupted power supply to consumers in Sofia and the Sofia region, the Bobov Dol Thermal Power Plant "Bobov Dol" must operate with at least one unit at a minimum load of 150 MW. Based on the data, documents, and information at our disposal, there are no obstacles preventing the plant from operating with a single unit,” Minister Petrova clarified. She assured that the ESO is closely monitoring the operating conditions of the power system in the region.

The order to suspend operations of Energy Boiler 2 states that the compulsory administrative measure will remain in effect until the violations in the relevant sections of the gas pipelines are rectified to ensure compliance with the requirements of the Integrated Permit.

“Everyone is equal before the law, and the law will be enforced to the fullest extent. We will monitor the actions taken by the operator, including the reported repair work, to determine how compliance with environmental legislation is being ensured,” Minister Rositsa Karamfilova stated emphatically.