A Bulgarian court has upheld a €154,000 environmental penalty against the Bobov Dol coal-fired power plant. The Dupnitsa Regional Court confirmed that the Sofia Regional Inspectorate of Environment and Water acted lawfully when it imposed the sanction under Bulgaria’s Environmental Protection Act.
The case related to failures in emissions-control equipment and to an uncontrolled release of flue gases. The court found that the plant breached several conditions attached to its integrated environmental permit.
Inspection findings on emissions-control failures
Inspectors identified the breaches during an unannounced inspection on 23 September 2025. The inspection was initiated after complaints from residents living near the power station.
According to the findings, emissions from an operating boiler bypassed gas-cleaning and flue-gas desulphurisation systems before being released directly into the atmosphere. The enforcement case also referenced uncontrolled flue-gas releases as part of the violations.
An automatic monitoring station in Golemo Selo, about 700 metres from the plant, recorded sulphur dioxide concentrations above the permitted limit for two consecutive hours. Inspectors also reported a strong sulphur smell in the surrounding area.
Permit conditions breached and fine assessment
The permit violations covered requirements for controlled discharge of flue gases and for preventing air-pollution limit exceedances. The court also addressed restrictions on odours beyond the plant perimeter.
The judges rejected the operator’s request to cancel or reduce the fine. They concluded that the breaches could not be treated as minor because they affected environmental protection and public health.
The court said there were no material procedural shortcomings in the enforcement process. When assessing proportionality, it considered both the seriousness of the incident and the plant’s history of similar violations.
Earlier fine, repeat reports, and partial shutdown order
The ruling followed a separate decision issued earlier in July by the same court. That earlier decision confirmed another environmental fine exceeding €100,000 against Bobov Dol.
During the first 11 months of 2025, inspectors issued 17 violation reports involving the facility. In May, Bulgaria’s Ministry of Environment and Water ordered a partial shutdown after repeated inspections identified recurring breaches of Bobov Dol’s integrated permit, including unauthorised releases of waste gases.
The ministry subsequently confirmed that restrictions would remain in place until the operator demonstrated full compliance. For Bobov Dol, financial exposure extends beyond nominal fines due to generation limits under partial operating restrictions.
Operational impact and link to market revenues
The source case notes that reduced availability can affect revenue at times when ageing coal units might otherwise benefit from high regional electricity prices. It specifies that a unit unavailable during evening scarcity periods loses not only baseload production but also the most profitable hours of the day.
It also describes how repeated enforcement action can increase maintenance expenditure, insurance costs and the difficulty of securing finance for refurbishment. The decision therefore ties environmental systems and compliance documentation to whether a plant can continue operating within its legal framework.
The court decision highlights elements including flue-gas desulphurisation, continuous emissions monitoring, operating procedures and maintenance records. It states these factors determine whether output can be contracted and whether lenders can rely on future cash flows.
System role does not prevent permit enforcement
Bulgaria continues to use coal generation to support system adequacy, particularly during winter peaks and periods of low renewable output. The source material says this system role does not shield operators from permit enforcement actions.
It characterises Bobov Dol’s repeated violations as evidence that coal assets unable to maintain functioning emissions controls face growing operational as well as regulatory risk.
