AES SET TO LAUNCH OPERATIONS OF BULGARIAN THERMAL PLANT SUBSIDIARY

US firm AES was to officially inaugurate its thermal power plant at Gulubovo on June 3 2011 following $1.2 billion investment., Bulgarian National Televison (BNT) reported.

The new plant is the completely renovated former communist-era state owned Maritsa East-1 thermal power plant. The plant has desulphurisation installations that will filter about 99 per cent of noxious emissions.

Prime Minister Boiko Borissov, Economy and Energy Minister Traicho Traikov and Environment Minister Nona Karadjova were scheduled to attend the opening ceremony that would mark the end of one of the largest investments in Bulgarian economy.
The plant's two units will start working at partial capacity of 210MW each, gradually working up to their full capacity of 335MW. During that time, the plant will pay compensation damages to state electricity utility NEK for not working at full capacity.

AES Gulubovo was scheduled to begin operations in 2010, but the plant had to delay the start of operations. It later emerged that even though the plant was not in operation, NEK charged consumers for electricity produced there, prompting an investigation from the utilities regulator, which is yet to be concluded.