Varna power station
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Varna power station (ТЕЦ Варна) is an operating power station of at least 210-megawatts (MW) in Varna, Bulgaria with multiple units, some of which are not currently operating.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Varna power station | Varna, Varna, Bulgaria | 43.19477, 27.765472 (exact)[1] |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3, Unit 4, Unit 5, Unit 6, Unit 7, Unit 8: 43.19477, 27.765472
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | CHP | Start year | Retired year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | Retired | coal: bituminous | 210 | unknown | – | 1968 | 2015 |
| Unit 2 | Retired | coal: bituminous | 210 | unknown | – | 1968 | 2015 |
| Unit 3 | Retired | coal: bituminous | 210 | unknown | – | 1969 | 2015 |
| Unit 4, timepoint 1 | Retired | coal: bituminous | 210 | unknown | – | 1978 | 2013 |
| Unit 4, timepoint 2 | Mothballed[2][3][4] | fossil gas: natural gas[5] | 210[5] | steam turbine[5] | – | 2019[6][5] | – |
| Unit 5, timepoint 1 | Retired | coal: bituminous | 210 | unknown | – | 1978 | 2014 |
| Unit 5, timepoint 2 | Mothballed[2][3][4] | fossil gas: natural gas[5] | 210[5] | steam turbine[5] | – | 2019[6][5] | – |
| Unit 6, timepoint 1 | Retired | coal: bituminous | 210 | unknown | – | 1978 | 2015 |
| Unit 6, timepoint 2 | Operating[7][2][3] | fossil gas: natural gas[5] | 210[5][4] | steam turbine[5] | – | 2019[6][5] | – |
| Unit 7 | Shelved inferred March 2024) | fossil gas: natural gas[8] | 275[9][8] | combined cycle[9] | not found | –[9] | – |
| Unit 8 | Shelved inferred March 2024) | fossil gas: natural gas[8] | 275[9][8] | combined cycle[9] | not found | –[9] | – |
CHP is an abbreviation for Combined Heat and Power. It is a technology that produces electricity and thermal energy at high efficiencies. Coal units track this information in the Captive Use section when known.
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | TPP Varna EAD [100%][10][11][9] | SIGDA OOD [100.0%] |
| Unit 2 | TPP Varna EAD [100%][10][11][9] | SIGDA OOD [100.0%] |
| Unit 3 | TPP Varna EAD [100%][10][11][9] | SIGDA OOD [100.0%] |
| Unit 4, timepoint 1 | TPP Varna EAD [100%][10][11][9] | SIGDA OOD [100.0%] |
| Unit 4, timepoint 2 | TPP Varna EAD [100%][10][11][9] | SIGDA OOD [100.0%] |
| Unit 5, timepoint 1 | TPP Varna EAD [100%][10][11][9] | SIGDA OOD [100.0%] |
| Unit 5, timepoint 2 | TPP Varna EAD [100%][10][11][9] | SIGDA OOD [100.0%] |
| Unit 6, timepoint 1 | TPP Varna EAD [100%][10][11][9] | SIGDA OOD [100.0%] |
| Unit 6, timepoint 2 | TPP Varna EAD [100%][10][11][9] | SIGDA OOD [100.0%] |
| Unit 7 | TPP Varna EAD [100%][10][11][9] | SIGDA OOD [100.0%] |
| Unit 8 | TPP Varna EAD [100%][10][11][9] | SIGDA OOD [100.0%] |
Unit-level fuel conversion details:
Unit 4: Unknown or atypical conversion status.
Unit 5: Unknown or atypical conversion status.
Unit 6: Converted from coal to fossil gas in 2019.
Project-level coal details
- Coal source(s): Ukraine
Background
The plant previously consisted of six turbines of 210 MW each, and was fuelled by anthracite coal imported mainly from the Ukraine. The coal-fired units began operation over the period 1968 to 1978. The plant was bought by the Czech energy company CEZ Group in 2006. As of 2016, in accordance with the environmental legislation of the European Union, the coal-fired power units ceased operations.[12]
According to the company's 2015 Annual Report: "Varna Power Plant Units 4, 5, and 6 have been shut down since January 1, 2013, January 1, 2014, and January 1, 2015, respectively, due to non-compliance with environmental limits set down in the integrated permit; Units 1, 2, and 3 are operating under a derogation regime, with limited operating hours per year.... No electricity and heat were planned to be generated at the Varna Power Plant in 2016 due to its suspended operation."[13]
In 2018 SIGDA completed its acquisition of the plant from CEZ, with plans to restart production and to fuel three units (630 MW) on natural gas.[14][15] A 2019 report announced Blocks 4, 5, and 6 had all undergone repairs and were operational running on natural gas.[16] However, in 2019, Tomáš Pleskač, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Czech power utility CEZ (the former plant owner) claimed that the plant had not been converted to gas at all.[17]
In 2021 the Czech Republic opened an investigation into the sale of the company from state-owned CEZ to Sigda at below market price.[18]
In June of 2021 the company announced plans to expand gas-fired generation by 550 MW to replace retired units 1-3. The units are Siemens SGT5-2000E units, capable of burning up to 30% Hydrogen as part of it's fuel mix.[19]
In December 2021, reports stated that the plants operations had been suspended due to unpaid debt to Bulgargaz, but it was still been trading around 70 MW on the electricity market.[20][21]
In August 2022, TPP Varna also announced a proposed 100 MW solar park that would be added to the site with the intention of producing the hydrogen that would be used in the new combined cycle plant.[22]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20220823033117/https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/111567265. Archived from the original on 23 August 2022.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 https://web.archive.org/web/20220810051114/https://bivol.bg/en/cez-boss-tpp-varna-cannot-provide-cold-reserve.html. Archived from the original on 10 August 2022.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 https://web.archive.org/web/20220831083019/https://www.svobodnaevropa.bg/a/31610122.html. Archived from the original on 31 August 2022.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 (PDF) https://bankwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/2024_03_14_The-great-energy-trap_An-evaluation-of-the-economic-viability-of-replacing-coal-with-gas-in-large-power-plants-in-Bulgaria.pdf.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 https://web.archive.org/web/20220922011801/https://varna-tpp.com/. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20210406202136/https://varna-tpp.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/PRESENTATION_TPP_Varna.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 06 April 2021.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|archive-date=(help); Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ https://web.archive.org/web/20221107230119/https://transparency.entsoe.eu/. Archived from the original on 07 November 2022.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|archive-date=(help); Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 https://web.archive.org/web/20221128002833/https://varna-tpp.com/tec-varna-investira-v-nova-moderna-parogazova-moshtnost/. Archived from the original on 28 November 2022.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 9.00 9.01 9.02 9.03 9.04 9.05 9.06 9.07 9.08 9.09 9.10 9.11 9.12 9.13 9.14 9.15 9.16 https://web.archive.org/web/20210603150815/https://seenews.com/news/bulgarias-varna-tpp-to-build-new-550-mw-combined-cycle-capacity-743414. Archived from the original on 03 June 2021.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|archive-date=(help); Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 10.00 10.01 10.02 10.03 10.04 10.05 10.06 10.07 10.08 10.09 10.10 (PDF) https://web.archive.org/web/20220124025138/https://www.cez.cz/edee/content/file/investors/2015-annual-report/2015-annual-report.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 January 2022.
{{cite web}}: Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ 11.00 11.01 11.02 11.03 11.04 11.05 11.06 11.07 11.08 11.09 11.10 https://web.archive.org/web/20210406174116/https://www.reuters.com/article/bulgaria-cez-sale/bulgarias-competition-watchdog-approves-sale-of-cezs-varna-plant-idUSL8N1OE5Z5. Archived from the original on 06 April 2021.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|archive-date=(help); Missing or empty|title=(help) - ↑ "TPP Varna EAD," CEZ Group, accessed March 2016
- ↑ "Annual Report," CEZ Group, 2015
- ↑ Bulgaria's competition watchdog approves sale of CEZ's Varna plant, Reuters, Dec 14 2017
- ↑ Bulgaria's Varna TPP plans to restart operations by end-July, See News, Mar 9 2021
- ↑ ИНФОРМАЦИЯ ЗА ПОВТОРНОТО ВЪВЕЖДАНЕ В ЕКСПЛОАТАЦИЯ, TPP Varna, Jun 7, 2019
- ↑ CEZ BOSS: TPP VARNA CANNOT PROVIDE COLD RESERVE, Bivol, Jul 9, 2019
- ↑ Czech Supreme Prosecutor’s Office launches investigation into the sale of Varna TPP to Ahmed Dogan following a report mentioning an ACF investigation, ACF, Jan 29, 2021
- ↑ ТЕЦ „Варна“ инвестира в нова модерна парогазова мощност, ТЕЦ Варна ЕАД, Jun 2, 2021
- ↑ "Спряната ТЕЦ "Варна" изкара на борсата за ток 27.5 млн. лв". Mediapool.bg (in български). Retrieved 2021-12-31.
- ↑ Свободна Европа (December 15, 2021). "Запорирани са сметките и е спряно подаването на газ към ТЕЦ "Варна" на Доган". Радио Свободна Европа. Retrieved December 31, 2021.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "ТЕЦ "Варна" планира 100 МВ слънчеви панели догодина". 24 Часа. August 7, 2022.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
Additional data
To access additional data, including interactive maps of the power stations, downloadable datasets, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker and the Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
