March 17 (SeeNews) - Bulgaria's lignite-fired power plant Bobov Dol [BUL:TC8A] will build a connection to the natural gas grid by the end of 2022, aiming to substitute gas for coal in its energy production, public radio BNR reported on Thursday.
The future gas pipeline, with a length of some 2 km, will connect to the existing nearby pipeline carrying gas to North Macedonia, BNR quoted Bobov Dol thermal power plant (TPP) chief executive Lyubomir Spasov as saying.
The production of electricity from natural gas at the plant will require the installation of a gas turbine for combined heat and power generation with an electrical capacity of 180 megawatts (MW), Spasov told BNR. The installation will run on a 50:50 mix of natural gas and green hydrogen, he added.
TPP Bobov Dol's current electricity output from two power generation units amounts to 300 MWh.
Last week, BNR reported that Spasov sent an open letter to the Bulgarian parliament, prime minister and finance minister in objection to the proposed closure of the power plant as part of measures for a coal phase-out as called for by the European Commission.