All Bulgarians noticed ultimate week how the populism of non-systemic events and the reluctance to change into the coal areas may result in the lack of a minimum of 3 billion euros in grants from the Eu price range for the recovery of the Bulgarian financial system. Deputies from ITN and “Vazrazhdane” by means of ripping out microphones within the plenary corridor, turning off the lighting and shouting, failed to switch the rustic’s local weather neutrality plan.
The report was once essential in order that by means of the time limit – September 30, our nation may ask Brussels for adjustments in its restoration plan, together with giving BGN 500 million for the reclamation of coal mining, in an effort to ensure that well-paid paintings for the miners. However ITN and “Vazrazhdane” with the cause “to offer protection to coal” pre-election did in Gamen’s method, what GERB did extra subtly for years – they lied to these hired within the sector that issues will stay as they’re.
And they’ve lengthy been very other. The electrical energy marketplace is dumping coal and electrical energy from thermal energy vegetation is turning into increasingly more tricky to promote as a result of the excessive environmental prices of its manufacturing. And this isn’t best in Bulgaria, but in addition in maximum “coal” international locations from the previous socialist bloc. At the price of large price range subsidies directed at those industries as an alternative of infrastructure, healthcare or training, the chimneys of coal-fired energy stations in Bulgaria, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania and Hungary proceed to smoke. Slowly and painfully, some reforms are going down underneath the force of Brussels, however the governments in those international locations proceed to quibble and delay the points in time for the substitute of polluting capacities with choice ones.
With political lies and with the assistance of media machines of oligarchs with vested pursuits, propaganda and empty communicate concerning the preservation of the coal business proceed in those member states, as an alternative of appearing successfully to exchange those capacities with new ones – blank and environment friendly, with high-paid staff puts in them. Thus, the proportion of coal within the power of Poland, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic, even supposing reducing, stays vital. In Romania and Hungary it’s small, however even there the greening of power is turning into tricky.
40% drop in coal energy in Bulgaria
In Bulgaria, there are lately 4,119 MW of energy vegetation working with lignite coal, and the ones the use of black coal as uncooked subject material are 356 MW.
In 2023, the electrical energy produced by means of coal vegetation in Bulgaria diminished by means of 40.5 %. The principle reason why is the inflow of power from renewable power resources. The expansion of solar energy ultimate yr was once 141 %, and the RES growth is riding down inventory costs and making the price of coal-fired energy too excessive and unquotable at the open marketplace. However in spite of this, as a proportion of gross electrical energy manufacturing, thermal energy vegetation make up just about 40 % of all amounts.
In 2024, the decline of coal-produced electrical energy in our nation’s overall intake shall be even better, as a result of on the finish of February, 908 MW stopped operating on the KonturGlobal Maritsa Iztok 3 TPP, owned by means of the American KKR. This took place as a result of the expiration of the long-term contract for the acquisition from the state “Nationwide Electrical Corporate” of electrical energy produced by means of this energy. In this day and age, the KonturGlobal Maritsa Iztok 3 TPP is attached in parallel with the power device, best when the electrical energy trade costs are successful for the corporate.
And every other herbal lack of capacities in our nation
In 2026, the long-term contract for electrical energy from the “AES Galabovo” TPP, owned by means of the American AES, additionally expires. Its energy is 690 MW. Which means that perhaps those coal blocks may also fall away.
TPP “AES Galabovo” and the state TPP are lately in a position to serve as best since the “Nationwide Electrical Corporate” is obliged to shop for their power and supply it to families. On the other hand, from the start of 2026, the family electrical energy marketplace turns into unfastened and the power regulator is not going to set the cost of electrical energy, however best of transmission, get right of entry to and distribution products and services.
Which means that in 2026, coal-fired energy vegetation will naturally segment out of the marketplace. In a different way, in entrance of the unions and within the plan for restoration and sustainability, Bulgaria has written that thermal energy vegetation will have the ability to perform on a marketplace foundation till 2035. With out the acquisition in their electrical energy by means of the state and towards the background of emerging costs for greenhouse allowances, alternatively, the accounts of the firms they are able to’t pass out.
Despite the fact that with a small overall capability, the personal thermal energy vegetation “Bobov dol” and “Pernik” are the most important issue for the areas the place they’re positioned. The “Bobov dol” TPP, related to the businessman Hristo Kovacki, is the primary and up to now the one coal-fired energy plant that in fact changed a part of its capability with photovoltaic panels with a capability of 100 MW. This plant additionally has plans to make use of hydrogen and herbal fuel to generate electrical energy.
All different thermal energy vegetation even have intentions to change into their coal-fired energy vegetation and change them with sun panels. TPP “AES Galabovo” could also be creating a challenge for the implementation of a salt battery for the manufacturing of electrical energy.
On the other hand, those plans are on the level of feasibility research and funding valuation. The coal vegetation don’t conceal their expectancies to obtain co-financing from the simply transition fund within the areas of Stara Zagora, Kyustendil and Pernik, the place the coal energy vegetation are concentrated.
Billions of zlotys a yr for unprofitable Polish mines
Coal is the primary supply of power in Poland with a proportion of 68 % of the electrical energy and warmth produced yearly. On the other hand, it is a drop in comparison to ten years in the past, when their proportion was once round 85%. The issue is that coal mining is unprofitable – the federal government subsidizes state-owned mines with a number of billion zlotys a yr. The miners, who quantity about 80,000 in Poland, oppose the adjustments and steadily threaten to prepare anti-government protests.
Within the 2040-2050 standpoint, coal shall be changed by means of photovoltaics, offshore wind farms, nuclear energy vegetation and small modular reactors.
Theoretically, the ultimate Polish mine will have to no longer be closed prior to 2049, however mavens don’t imagine in any such far away date and imagine that the marketplace will shut the capacities previous – 2040-2045. It’s commented that they will have to prevent the oldest thermal energy stations first, which means that that the majority coal blocks shall be closed within the length 2030-2035.
Polish society realizes the will for trade and many of us refuse to warmth their houses with coal as a result of it’s impractical, albeit reasonable, and extremely polluting the air.
As for “large” power, public opinion expects reasonable power, the costs of that are set by means of the federal government. Thus, in an effort to take care of the mines and thermal energy vegetation, vital budgetary subsidies are allotted to the coal business.
Within the Czech Republic, oligarchs wish to stay their subsidies
Coal performs the most important function within the Czech Republic’s power combine, with a 38% proportion of electrical energy generated in 2023. Main power corporations, together with the in part state-owned CEZ, the Sev.en company owned by means of oligarch Pavel Tikač, and the EPH protecting of oligarch Daniel Kretynsky, depend closely on of coal as a part of its trade fashion. Those corporations perform the rustic’s main thermal energy vegetation and coal mines. The federal government plans to exchange coal with nuclear energy, however construction nuclear energy vegetation is taking too lengthy and coal’s profitability is plummeting to satisfy the 2033 time limit to segment out its use.
On the similar time, the federal government and effort corporations within the Czech Republic are going through issues of the penetration of renewable power resources. Wind farms have stagnated at 1% of technology capability since 2019, in spite of the rustic’s attainable for a proportion of round 28%. Sun vegetation are best 4 %, and the primary RES resources with a proportion of 14 % of the power manufacturing within the nation are hydro vegetation and biomass and biogas vegetation.
Restricted growth in renewable power construction, which the Czech Republic has been closely criticized by means of the EC for however is vital to decreasing dependence on coal, raises issues concerning the nation’s power long run.
Retreat in Prague for the length of closure of the TPP
A “local weather fee” underneath the former authorities in Prague really helpful 2033 as a time limit to segment out coal, however the present one is underneath force from influential figures within the coal business. Pavel Tikac and Daniel Kretinski, as an example, lead media campaigns towards local weather objectives and strengthen the ongoing burning of coal and the implementation of capability mechanisms. Those are authorities bills to stay coal-fired energy vegetation in a position to supply electrical energy. On the other hand, the Eu Fee has no longer authorized those mechanisms for the Czech Republic and acquiring a brand new settlement from the Fee is usually a tricky political procedure.
Tikac, as an example, has many times warned that the Czech grid may cave in with out coal. In July 2024, the media underneath the keep an eye on of Daniel Kretinski campaigned prior to a cupboard assembly the place ministers have been to undertake new state power methods and different strategic paperwork associated with local weather and effort transformation. There were no local weather motion demonstrations in fresh months, even supposing the Czech authorities is lately negotiating and getting ready key local weather and effort insurance policies. On the other hand, the oligarchic media dominates the general public debate and promotes narratives concerning the want for coal and the specter of blackouts with out mining and burning coal.
Romania could also be listening for the golf green transition
In Romania, coal supplies roughly 10% of electrical energy manufacturing on the nationwide degree. All the way through top sessions of excessive call for, reminiscent of scorching summer season days and freezing wintry weather days, there’s spare capability this is switched on as wanted in keeping with electrical energy call for.
Coal represents the fourth biggest supply of electrical energy technology in Romania after hydro (roughly 35%), nuclear (25%) and wind (15%).
The Romanian authorities plans to segment out coal from Romania’s power combine by means of 2032. However the time limit might be prolonged as there are delays within the plan to construct new gas-fired energy vegetation to exchange the coal-fired ones that shall be closed.
The Romanian authorities granted state support for the closure of the coal mines in Valea Giuliu, a mono-industrial zone in Romania. There also are Eu price range from the Simply Transition Plan which were allotted to the communities on this mining house to retrain the miners and change into its financial system. These days, coal-fired energy vegetation on this area perform best when wanted, as they did in July this yr when excessive warmth higher electrical energy call for.
Some other mining house in Romania is Oltenia, the place the federal government additionally granted state support for the restructuring of the corporate Oltenia Power Advanced, which operates 3 of Romania’s biggest coal-fired energy vegetation. They have been to get replaced by means of 2026 by means of new gas-fired energy vegetation and photovoltaics. The restructuring plan was once authorized by means of the Eu Fee two years in the past, however paintings at the new vegetation has been not on time and Romania has requested the Eu Fee to increase the implementation time limit.
The one Hungarian thermal energy plant operates best when wanted
There is just one coal-fired energy plant in Hungary – Matra, which is owned and operated by means of the state-owned power staff MVM. The ability is fed from its personal mine and has 5 devices with a nominal capability of 950 megawatts (virtually part of the put in capability of the Paksh nuclear energy plant). In apply, alternatively, best devices III, IV and V with a nominal energy of 750 megawatts are working. Due partly to the will for consistent upkeep and common apparatus breakdowns, the plant in most cases operates at about 300-400 megawatts, so it’s only liable for about 8 % of the rustic’s overall electrical energy manufacturing. In recent times, there were sessions when “Matra” has no longer labored.
MVM had intentions to segment out the usage of coal by means of 2025 and construct gas- and biomass-fired devices. On the other hand, in 2023 the federal government determined that the coal devices would stay in operation till 2029. The plant gained the important lets in a yr later. A 500 megawatt mixed cycle fuel turbine (CCGT) is but to be constructed.
Thus, probably the most coal international locations in Europe proceed to hang out with the greening in their power and spend massive state price range to take care of unprofitable jobs, as an alternative of remodeling them and keeping their financial attainable, however in a unique shape.
This newsletter was once created inside the framework of the PULSE challenge, a Eu initiative that helps cross-border journalistic cooperation. The next labored on it: Vladislava Peeva – Mediapool.bg (Bulgaria); Matěj Moravanský – Denik Referendum (Czech Republic); Gábor Kovács – HVG (Hungary); Florentina Cernat – HotNews.ro (Romania); Ireneusz Sudak – Gazeta Wyborcza (Poland).
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