Maritsa Itzok-3 power station is a 908 MW coal power station in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria. It is operated by Contour Global Maritsa Iztok 3 AD. Based on reported annual generation of 4,656 GWh, it can supply roughly 1.3 million homes. It ranks #6 of 55 Bulgaria power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 1980, it is around 46 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 WRI1008061.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Capacity provenance
The public capacity above is the current source-record value. A 2026 tracker candidate lists 454 MW for Maritsa Iztok-3 power station, but it is not used as the public primary value until scope is verified (unit vs operating vs installed/project total).
Data provenance
Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.
capacity: WRI GPPD; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 908 MW, Maritsa Itzok-3 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
- 59%, from 4,656 GWh of reported generation
- Share of Bulgaria coal capacity
- 16.8% of 5,419 MW across 14 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 9 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 Contour Global Maritsa Iztok 3 AD.
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 42.1°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 2% 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: 51/100 — 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 #2 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
- AES Galabovo · Coal · 690 MW · Stara Zagora
- Brikel power station · Coal · 200 MW · Stara Zagora
- Maritsa Iztok-2 power station · Gas · 1,000 MW · Galabovo
- Maritsa Itzok-2 power station · Coal · 1,602 MW · Stara Zagora
- TOPLO RUSE · Coal · 110 MW · Stara Zagora
- Zdravets · Solar · 15.6 MW · Khaskovo
Location
Coordinates 42.145, 26.0025 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Maritsa Itzok-3 power station?
Maritsa Itzok-3 power station is a 908 MW coal power plant in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria, commissioned in 1980.
How much electricity does Maritsa Itzok-3 power station generate?
Maritsa Itzok-3 power station generates about 4,656 GWh of electricity per year.
Who operates Maritsa Itzok-3 power station?
Maritsa Itzok-3 power station is operated by Contour Global Maritsa Iztok 3 AD.