The Bulgarian council of ministers has approved the country's recovery and resilience plan, which will be submitted to the European Commission. Bulgaria is eligible for some €6.6bn in grants. The government has set 2038 and 2040 as indicative dates to close lignite- and coal-fired power plants. In 2020, lignite-fired power plants accounted for 35% of the country’s installed capacity, with 4.5 GW, and for over 30% of the total power generation (39% in 2019).
The country previously unveiled plans to convert BEH's 1,450 MW Maritsa East 2 coal-fired power plant to natural gas. A new 1 GW gas-fired power plant worth €850m could be built on this site. In addition, Bulgaria may end two power purchase agreements (PPAs) with AES's 670 MW Maritsa East 1 and ContourGlobal's 900 MW Maritsa East 3 coal-fired power plants as soon as the second quarter of 2022.