Court rules that TPP Maritsa East 2 violates environmental standards
Balkan Energy
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The Administrative Court in Stara Zagora, in a case regarding environmental permit of TPP Maritsa east 2 filed by Greenpeace Bulgaria, has ruled that the coal-fired power plant has been operating in violation of the law since the beginning of 2019, when it received a permit to emit sulfur dioxide nearly twice the permitted level and mercury more than four times over the regulations.
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According to the ruling, state-owned TPP Maritsa East 2 has an obligation to comply with current pollution requirements in order to continue operation.
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The local court's decision was based on an interpretation by the Court of Justice of the EU, which ruled in March 2023 that plants cannot operate without complying with environmental requirements if doing so would contribute to a violation of air quality standards.
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The Stara Zagora Administrative Court pointed out that the plant's permit did not take into account the total impact of sulfur dioxide emissions from all industrial and domestic sources in the area, as well as important pollution data. This puts human health and the environment at risk.
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The same flaws have been committed in the permits of TPP AES Galabovo and TPP Maritsa East 3, showing that environmental authorities have systematically flouted the legislation.
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In order to continue operating, TPP Maritsa East 2 should go through a new permitting process, the conditions of which should ensure compliance with modern standards for the pollutants sulfur dioxide and mercury. These standards can be achieved by reducing the capacity of the plant or by limiting its operating hours.
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In reality, this is already happening. The power plant is currently operating at about 30 % of its capacity and using three or four of its eight units, due to high production cost of its electricity. The company is relying on its quota for the residential market, which it received by a political decision in mid-2023, at the cost of an increase in consumers' bills. In addition, its financial situation has followed a negative trend for a decade, except for the unprecedented 2022, when it turned a profit due to the energy crisis in Europe and the huge increase in energy prices.
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