Balgarianovinite.com On December 24, 1981, TPP Maritsa Iztok 3 (now ContourGlobal Maritsa Iztok 3) in southern Bulgaria was officially inaugurated. The power plant was equipped with four generating units of 210 megawatts each, with a total installed capacity of 840 megawatts, as well as four steam generators producing 670 tonnes of steam per hour, and an annual electricity output of around 5 billion kilowatt-hours.
Construction of the plant near the village of Mednikarovo began on August 19, 1968. The first generating unit was commissioned on January 31, 1978, followed by the second on January 17, 1979. The ceremonial opening of the first two units took place on September 7, 1979. On December 30, 1979, the third generating unit was put into trial operation and entered regular commercial operation on April 1, 1980. In September 1981, the fourth and final generating unit was commissioned, bringing the plant to its planned capacity of 840 megawatts.
In 2009, following the completion of an investment programme by Enel Maritsa Iztok 3 (73% owned by the Italian energy company Enel and 27% by the National Electricity Company, the state-owned power utility), the plant became the first lignite-fired thermal power plant in the Balkans to operate in full compliance with European environmental standards, with sulphur dioxide emissions reduced by more than 90%.
In 2012, the US energy company ContourGlobal acquired Enel’s stake in the plant. December 24, 1981: TPP Maritsa Iztok 3 Officially Inaugurated 2025 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2025-12-24 18:25:21 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law