EC approves construction of waste-to-energy high-efficient cogeneration plant in

Under EU state aid rules, the European Commission has approved Bulgarian plans to support the construction and operation of a high-efficient cogeneration plant using fuel derived from unrecyclable municipal waste.

On 8 October 2019, Bulgaria notified the Commission of its plans to support the construction and operation of a high-efficient cogeneration plant in Sofia, Bulgaria.

The plant will produce heat and electricity with a capacity of approximately 55 megawatts (MW) of heat and 19 MW of electricity. Around 180 000 tonnes per year of unrecyclable municipal waste will be used to fuel the plant.

The installation, set up by Toplofikacia EAD, a company fully-owned by the Sofia municipality, will be connected to the Sofia district heating network. The construction will be finalised by the end of 2023.

The support will consist of two distinct measures: a direct grant of approximately €90.8 million (around 177.6 million BGN) financed by EU Structural Funds managed by Bulgaria; and a loan granted by the Sofia municipality to Toplofikacia EAD at a preferential rate, amounting to approximately € 3 million (around 5.8 million BGN).

The construction and operation of the high-efficient cogeneration plant in Sofia for which the Commission approved public support on November 25 is the third phase of a long-standing environmental project financed through EU structural funds (ESIF/ERDF) aimed at improving waste treatment in the Sofia Region of Bulgaria.