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).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1008057.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Data provenance
Source of the capacity and fuel values:
capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000100137; fuel: WRI GPPD
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.
Key facts
- Load factor
- 38%, from 2,122 GWh of reported generation
- Share of Bulgaria coal capacity
- 11.6% of 5,419 MW across 14 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 7 of 13 dated coal plants in Bulgaria are older
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Reported generation trend
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.
Monthly mean temperature
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
This site sits in a mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.
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
- Republika power station · Coal · 105 MW · Pernik
- Kalimantsi Hydroelectric Power Plant Macedonia · Hydro · 12.6 MW · Makedonska Kamenica
- Sofia Iztok power station · Gas · 407 MW · Sofia
- Sofia power station · Gas · 315 MW · Sofia
- PSBELMEKEN · Hydro · 375 MW · Sofiya
- PSCHAIRA GEN · Hydro · 864 MW · Pazardzhik
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 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.
Who operates Bobov Dol power station?
Bobov Dol power station is operated by Energia MK.