July 27 (SeeNews) - Bulgarian privately-owned coal-fired power plant Brikel resumed operations after installing desulphurisation installations at four of its six units in compliance with the EU’s environmental requirements, local media reported on Wednesday.
Brikel received a comprehensive exploitation permit and as of July 23 it is operating three of its six units units, with the fourth unit in reserve, Pari business daily quoted Brikel’s deputy executive director Georgi Zlatev as saying.
The plant is operating at a capacity of 70 megawatts as its maximum capacity is 100 megawatts.
The government started in December to decommission four of the six units of Brikel in a move to avoid a European Commission infringement procedure for violation of the EU's integrated pollution prevention and control regulations. The other two units remained operational until May 2 when they were shut down as well.
Brikel, which is based in the town of Galabovo and is owned by local businessman Hristo Kovachki, had to be shut down by October 31 last year as it had exceeded its quota of 20,000 greenhouse gas emission allowances.
In March, Bulgaria's antitrust regulator said it gave given the green light to Seychelles-based Moller Corp to buy the plant. Moller Corp plans to invest in new equipment and upgrade the existing equipment, the regulator said.