A consortium comprising RWE Industrie-Losungen GmbH and DSD Dillinger Stahlbau GmbH has signed an engineering, procurement and construction contract with the Maritza East II Power Company for the modernisation of the 800 MW thermal power plant and construction of a flue gas desulphusization unit near Stara Zagora in southeast Bulgaria. Maritza East III Power Co is a joint venture between Entergy and NEK, the Bulgarian national utility.
The contract covers renovation and modernisation of four existing boiler and turbine generator units and the installation of the flue gas cleaning system. Around ¤100 million will be spent on environmental measures at the plant. The operating life of the station should be extended by 15 years.
The project is expected to take three years to complete during which time the plant will continue to operate. SO2 emissions are expected to be reduced by 300 000 t/y and CO2 by 750 000 t while water consumption will be reduced by a factor of 30.