Maritsa Itzok-2 power station is a 1,602 MW coal power station in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria. It is operated by TEC Maritsa Iztok 2 EAD. Based on reported annual generation of 8,601 GWh, it can supply roughly 2.5 million homes. It ranks #3 of 55 Bulgaria power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1979, it is around 47 years old — long-established. 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 WRI1008060.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
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 · L100000100143; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 1,602 MW, Maritsa Itzok-2 power station is well above the median coal plant in Bulgaria (180 MW). 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
- 61%, from 8,601 GWh of reported generation
- Share of Bulgaria coal capacity
- 29.6% of 5,419 MW across 14 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 8 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 TEC Maritsa Iztok 2 EAD.
Local climate & thermal context
This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) — 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 1% below 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: 50/100 — 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 moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), 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 #1 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
- Maritsa Iztok-2 power station · Gas · 1,000 MW · Galabovo
- TOPLO RUSE · Coal · 110 MW · Stara Zagora
- Maritsa Itzok-3 power station · Coal · 908 MW · Stara Zagora
- AES Galabovo · Coal · 690 MW · Stara Zagora
- Brikel power station · Coal · 200 MW · Stara Zagora
- Skobelevo · Solar · 6 MW · Sliven
Location
Coordinates 42.2541, 26.134 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Maritsa Itzok-2 power station?
Maritsa Itzok-2 power station is a 1,602 MW coal power plant in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria, commissioned in 1979.
How much electricity does Maritsa Itzok-2 power station generate?
Maritsa Itzok-2 power station generates about 8,601 GWh of electricity per year.
Who operates Maritsa Itzok-2 power station?
Maritsa Itzok-2 power station is operated by TEC Maritsa Iztok 2 EAD.