Bogomil Manchev: It is impossible to close the coal plants until 2026, as written in the Recovery and Sustainability Plan

Closing coal the plants in 2026 as written in the current Recovery and Resilience Plan is impossible. Unfortunately, we will be paying for the tricks we have been doing for 13-14 years. The plants will continue to produce energy, because otherwise the state cannot exist and we will be limited in the use of energy, which is, however, basic. This is what the chairman of the Bulgarian Atomic Forum Bogomil Manchev said in the program “Speak Now” on BNT1.

He doubts that until 2032 the plants will be economically viable.

“For this reason, the state must do everything possible, as legislation, to jump-start the construction of nuclear units,” he added.

According to him, if there are two nuclear units by 2032, they could solve about 70-80% of the emission component that we throw out. Since two units will produce 16 million megawatt hours, i.e. they could 100% replace the three Maritsa Coal Power Plants.

He added: “If we produce this amount of energy, the Maritsa Coal Power Plants should reduce it slowly and leave some of the blocks in hot reserve.”

According to him, Maritsa Iztok has a reserve of 1.5 billion tons of coal, but it is very dusty – some of it must be kept in the so-called cold reserve to be used in a critical situation, but we cannot remain in the current situation.