SOFIA (Bulgaria), December 6 (SeeNews) – Bulgaria will announce on December 18 its criteria for the investors willing to build a new power plant of at least 600 megawatts at the coal mining and energy complex Maritsa East, the concessionaire operating the coal mines said on Thursday.
A special committee, which includes representatives of the State Energy and Water Regulatory Commission (SEWRC), the energy ministry and the coal mines concessionaire, Mini Maritsa Iztok, was set up in September to determine the criteria for the potential investors in the construction of the power plant.
The committee had to announce the criteria by the end of year but that term was shortened, Mini Maritsa Iztok media relations officer Petia Nikolova told SeeNews by telephone from the coal mining region in central Bulgaria.
Italian energy group Enel said in September it was willing to invest some 1.0 billion euro ($1.457 billion) in the construction of a new 765-megawatt plant at its coal-fired power station Maritsa East 3.
Following Enel’s investment plan announcement, the Bulgarian government set up the committee to decide on the issue. Enel owns 73% of Maritsa East 3 and Bulgaria's power grid operator NETC holds the balance.
Apart from Enel, U.S. AES, German RWE and German E.ON, as well as Bulgarian Brikel, have also shown interest in building a new power plant at Maritsa East 3.
(1 euro=$1.4568)