Bulgaria's Prime
Minister Boyko Borissov and Lower Austria Chancellor Erwin Proell broke ground
Monday for a new co-generation facility in Plovdiv, Southern
Bulgaria.
The new electric and
heating power plant will be constructed by Bulgaria's Austrian-owned power
utility EVN EVN Bulgaria near the Plovdiv North Heating
Plant.
"Bulgaria has to take
full advantage of the fact that it is situated on international crossroads to
attract investments in infrastructure," stated Borisov
Monday.
On his part,
Chancellor Proell stated that the relations between the two countries are based
on open cooperation.
EVN plans to invest
BGN 100 M in the new electricity and heating plant, which will be the most
modern cogeneration not only in Bulgaria, but also in the
Balkans.
The new facility will
be producing 49.9 MW electrical power and 54 MW heating
power.
The production of
electricity is expected to help stabilize the electricity supply in the region.
EVN is the electricity distribution company for South-central and Southeastern
Bulgaria.
The new plant will
run on natural gas, and will be 20% more efficient than the existing Plovdiv
North Power Plant.
According to the
Manager of EVN Bulgaria Toplofikatsia, the new facility will be more-environment
friendly, and will use latest technology, which guarantees it will operate for
20 years without failures and repairs.
The plant is
scheduled to be fully operational by the end of 2011.