The deputies obliged the caretaker government to prepare a report on the future of the "Maritsa East" complex

The deputies obliged the Council of Ministers to prepare a report on the implementation of the decisions of the National Assembly related to the future of the "Maritsa-East" complex, after votes, on the proposal of "Vazrazhdane", a draft decision obliging the Council of Ministers to prepare a Report in in connection with the implementation of decisions of the National Assembly related to the future of the "Maritsa-East" complex. The decision was supported by 152 votes "for", zero - "against" and three - "abstentions", reported BTA.

Thus, the Council of Ministers is obliged to prepare and submit to the National Assembly a report on all planned, undertaken and implemented actions in the implementation of these decisions, related to the future of the "Maritsa-East" complex, within ten days from the adoption of the decision.

The Council of Ministers will have to report chronologically on the steps taken in connection with the change of the Recovery and Development Plan (RSP) in the energy part. The decision also requires the Minister of Energy to inform the people's representatives about all the steps taken by him regarding the changes in the PVU. In addition, the deputies want to get acquainted with all the correspondence between Bulgaria and the European Commission on this topic.

Energy Minister Vladimir Malinov told the deputies yesterday that "considering the 11 million tons of carbon footprint laid down (in the RSP) and the existing calorific value of the coal in the Marishki Basin, this is nearly 15 million tons, which gives people in the region the opportunity to work not only for land reclamation, but also for fulfilling their main obligations according to the concession contract for lignite mining". Malinov added that with "the achievement we have, we enable these generating capacities to work without time limits, I'm not even talking about the year 2038, but within an unfathomable horizon".

According to the estimates of the Ministry of Energy, Bulgaria will fit into the restrictions of 11 million tons already this year, and this is due to the suspended activity of the TPP "ConturGlobal Maritsa-East 3" in February, and in the middle of 2026, it will expire the validity period of the long-term contract with TPP "AES Galabovo" (AES Galabovo).

And as for the decisions of the National Assembly in question, on which the government was ordered to report, there are (recently) several of them.

On January 12, 2023, the Parliament obliged the Council of Ministers to amend the Recovery and Sustainability Plan (RSP) in the "Energy" part. In its report, the government will have to present all completed and/or in-process projects, together with all accompanying documentation related to the territory of the "Maritsa East" complex, set as a condition for renegotiation of the PVA. In addition, the report should present information on the steps taken by the Ministry of Energy, related to the long-term prevention of the termination of operation and/or the limitation of the production capacity of the coal-fired power plants of the Bulgarian Energy Holding group.

On July 20, 2023, the deputies decided on certain actions of state authorities regarding "Mini Maritsa-East" EAD. With this decision, the National Assembly prohibited any disposal transactions with the company's property, as well as with property that falls within the framework of the "East Mariško Coal Field".

In connection with this decision, the deputies want to know about actions taken or planned to build photovoltaic systems and/or industrial parks in properties owned by "Mini Maritsa-East" EAD. As well as for the creation of a mechanism for the early retirement of category employees in "Mini Maritsa-East" and the thermal power plants.

On April 25 of this year, a decision was voted to provide funds for "Mini Maritsa-East" EAD for four years - from 2024 to 2028 - BGN 250 million each, a total of BGN 1 billion - funds to provide technical reclamation of land in the area.

We remind you that a day ago in front of the deputies, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Ludmila Petkova said that the Parliament will have to discuss the possibilities of changes in these decisions, given the approval (during the negotiations) by the European Commission of the changes in the RSP in the energy sector.