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Bobov Dol power station

Coal power plant in Kyustendil, Bulgaria. Approximate location 42.2855, 23.0342.

CoalKyustendilBulgariasubcritical

Bobov Dol power station is a 630 MW coal power station in Kyustendil, Bulgaria. It is operated by Energia MK. Based on reported annual generation of 2,122 GWh, it can supply roughly 606k homes. It ranks #9 of 55 Bulgaria power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1974, it is around 52 years old — an older, legacy facility. In context, coal supplies about 22.5% of Bulgaria's electricity; the national grid averages 276 gCO₂/kWh (71.9% low-carbon) (2025).

630Source-backed capacity
2,122GWh reported / yr
606,342homes powered
1974commissioned (~52 yrs)

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1008057.

Data status

Known data

FacilityBobov Dol power station WRI
CountryBulgaria · Kyustendil WRI
Coordinates42.2855, 23.0342 WRI
FuelCoal WRI
MW installed capacity630 MW WRI source record; scope not independently normalised
OwnerEnergia MK WRI
Commissioned1974 WRI
Technologysubcritical WRI
GWh reported / yr2,122 GWh/yr WRI

Calculated from dataset

CO₂ emissions2,122,200 t CO₂/yr calculated
Capacity rank in country#9 of 55 calculated
Fuel-specific rank in country#4 of 14 calculated
Capacity vs country/fuel peers3.50× · 180 MW median · 14 peers calculated
Homes-powered equivalent606,342 calculated from reported generation
Climate10.2°C · HDD 2,983 derived from coordinates
Environmental severityC2 · 27/100 derived from coordinates

Not available

GWh reported / yrNot available not in dataset

Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.

Data provenance

The capacity and/or fuel fields on this page include a source-backed provenance label from GEM, an official registry, Wikidata, OSM, or a cross-source match.

capacity: GEM tracker 2026 (location L100000100137); fuel: WRI source-record fuel

In context: how this plant compares

At 630 MW, Bobov Dol power station is well above the median coal plant in Bulgaria (180 MW). Technically it is described as subcritical. Coal plants burn pulverised coal to raise high-pressure steam for a turbine; they run as baseload but are the most carbon-intensive mainstream source and the first targeted for retirement or efficiency retrofits.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Reported generation trend

2015: 2,253 GWh20152017: 2,122 GWh20172k GWh

Annual generation (GWh), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).

Owner

Operated by Energia MK.

Local climate & thermal context

This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 42.3°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

10.2°Cannual mean temp
2,983heating degree-days (base 18°C)
142cooling degree-days (base 18°C)
647 melevation

Monthly mean temperature

J: 0 °CJF: 1 °CFM: 5 °CMA: 10 °CAM: 15 °CMJ: 18 °CJJ: 20 °CJA: 20 °CAS: 16 °CSO: 11 °CON: 5 °CND: 1 °CD20 °C

Heating degree-days here run 21% above the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.

Climate heat-demand index: 62/100 — this site sits in the mid third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.

Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.

Site climate & environmental severity

For a plant’s outdoor hardware — heat-recovery steam generators (HRSG), expansion joints, valves, flanges and their insulation — the local climate sets how fast unprotected steel and coatings degrade. This site sits in a mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C2ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
27/100environmental-severity index
20.7°Cseasonal temperature swing
222 kmdistance to coast

Higher environmental severity is exactly where protective removable insulation pays back most: a sheltered micro-climate slows corrosion, UV and thermal-cycling damage and extends outdoor hardware service life. This is an indicative site-climate context — not a condition assessment of any specific plant or operator.

Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.

How it compares & nearby plants

The #4 largest coal power plant of 14 in Bulgaria by capacity.

Bulgaria has 14 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 5,419 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

Location

Coordinates 42.2855, 23.0342 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

Frequently asked questions

What type of power plant is Bobov Dol power station?

Bobov Dol power station is a 630 MW source-record coal power plant in Kyustendil, Bulgaria, commissioned in 1974.

How much electricity does Bobov Dol power station generate?

Bobov Dol power station generates about 2,122 GWh of electricity per year.

How many homes can Bobov Dol power station power?

Its output is enough to supply roughly 606,342 homes.

Who operates Bobov Dol power station?

Bobov Dol power station is operated by Energia MK.

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