Varna power station is a 1,180 MW gas power station in Varna, Bulgaria. It is operated by TPP Varna EAD [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 1.3 million homes (estimated). It ranks #4 of 55 Bulgaria power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2019, it is around 7 years old — recently built. In context, gas supplies about 4.9% 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 GOGPT_varna_bulgar.
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 630 MW for Varna 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: GEM GOGPT; fuel: GEM GOGPT
In context: how this plant compares
At 1,180 MW, Varna power station is well above the median gas plant in Bulgaria (315 MW). Technically it is described as CCGT; combined-cycle with a heat-recovery steam generator (HRSG); Siemens Energy: SGT5-2000E. Gas plants burn natural gas either in open-cycle turbines for fast peaking, or in combined-cycle units that recover exhaust heat in an HRSG to reach roughly 55–62% efficiency — the cleanest-burning fossil option.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Key facts
- Share of Bulgaria gas capacity
- 33.8% of 3,487 MW across 8 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 5 of 6 dated gas plants in Bulgaria are older
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Capacity vs largest gas plants in Bulgaria
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by TPP Varna EAD [100%].
Climate zone & how it works
This gas plant burns natural gas in a turbine — often in a combined-cycle setup — to generate electricity. It sits in a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 43.2°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Climate zone & typical temperatures: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid).
Site climate & environmental severity
This site sits in a corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C4 — High), 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 gas power plant of 8 in Bulgaria by capacity.
Bulgaria has 8 gas power plants in this dataset, together about 3,487 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Deven power station · Coal · 174 MW · Varna
- Devnya · Solar · 4.8 MW · Varna
- SVETI NIKOLA · Wind · 156 MW · Varna
- Neftochim Refinery power station · Gas · 216 MW · Burgas
- Kalipetrovo · Solar · 3.9 MW · Silistra
- Palauzovo · Solar · 6.8 MW · Yambol
Location
Coordinates 43.19477, 27.765472 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Varna power station?
Varna power station is a 1,180 MW gas power plant in Varna, Bulgaria, commissioned in 2019.
Who operates Varna power station?
Varna power station is operated by TPP Varna EAD [100%].