SOFIA (Bulgaria), January 9 (SeeNews) – Bulgarian state-owned coal mining company Mini Maritsa Iztok said on Tuesday it produced 30.3 million tonnes of coal last year, 2.8 million tonnes above plan.
The company's increased output is mainly due to the harsh winter conditions in Bulgaria in January and February 2017, which forced thermal power plants in the country to operate at full capacity, Mini Maritsa Iztok said in a statement.
On Monday, Mini Maritsa Iztok said its coal mine Troyanovo-1 recorded an output of 13.2 million tonnes in 2017, the highest in the mine's 65-year history.
In the first nine months of 2017, Mini Maritsa Iztok swung to a net profit of 41.0 million levs ($24.4 million/21.0 million euro), from a net loss of 11.4 million levs in the like period of 2016.
Mini Maritsa Iztok's coal mines in southern Bulgaria sell their output mainly to three thermal power plants located nearby, two of them owned respectively by US-based ContourGlobal and AES, and one state-owned. The two power plants owned by the US-based companies generate around 30% of Bulgaria's electricity output.
(1 euro=1.95583 levs)