ContourGlobal Maritsa East 3 TPP Part of Energy Family of ContourGlobal for 2 Years Now

ContourGlobal Maritsa East 3 TPP completed its second year of successful operation as part of the global energy family of ContourGlobal, while keeping its position of one of Bulgaria’s major electricity producers.

“We are proud of the fact that we operate as a reliable partner of the Bulgarian state thanks to our ability  to operate with passion our asset in Bulgaria while showing excellent operational results”, said Garry Levesley, CEO of ContourGlobal Maritsa East 3. “Back in 2011 when ContourGlobal came in Bulgaria, we knew this would be among the biggest challenges we had faced by that moment, but I believe we manage to do what we were expected to - helped to maintain the national energy security and the stability of the energy system. Our plant supplies the Bulgarian Energy market with the third cheapest energy, in environment compliant and efficient way, respecting the law, business ethics, and the highest health and safety standards.”

In this year’s celebration the key moment of the event at the plant was the opening of an exhibition of wooden-krafted artworks done by Stoycho Andreev, Production Team Leader. Stoycho has more than 30 years of career at the plant, but recently unveils his talent of creating paintings of wood. He shared 6 out of his 20 masterpieces with his colleagues, thus turning one of the halls at the plant into an art gallery.

Back in 2012 the plant welcomed the Stara Zagora Military Big Band to celebrate its first year of membership of the ContourGlobal energy family.

In mid-June 2013 ContourGlobal Maritsa East 3 supported the Stara Zagora Municipality in the organization of the second edition of the International Jazz Forum in the city. Again, this initiative was implemented with the aim to add value to the life of people in the region of Stara Zagora, to upgrade the culture agenda of the city, and to be a present for the company’s employees in the eve of its 2^nd year of operation in Bulgaria.

Electricity production and environmental improvements

ContourGlobal Maritsa East 3 keeps producing a significant share of the electricity for the Bulgarian market and selling it at the third lowest price among the electricity producers in Bulgaria. In 2012, its net electricity production amounted to 3,431,418 MWh. For the first half of 2013 the power plant produced 913,288 MWh.

ContourGlobal Maritsa East 3 completed a project for NOx reduction in Unit 4 which resulted in cutting the NOx emissions from the actual limit of 500 mg/Nm3 to less than 200 mg/Nm3. That project will result in reaching full compliance this new EU directive on time: it will be valid in the beginning of 2016. The same project is currently underway at Unit 3, and in 2014 and 2015 – in the rest of the two units.

Owing to this and other improvement projects developed in the past two years, today ContourGlobal Maritsa East 3 meets all latest environmental requirements, as well as the most modern health and labor safety standards. It thus implements the goals ContourGlobal pursues on a world scale, but also achieves the goals of the Bulgarian state towards reduction of the SO2 and NOx emissions.

Investing and development of people

Apart from its ambition to excel in its core business, ContourGlobal Maritsa East 3 also puts strong focus on its employees. The company ranks among the biggest and the most stable employers in the region of Stara Zagora that keeps the number of its staff unchanged even in period of economic challenges. Moreover, it also provides its staff with regular trainings, career development opportunities, and special benefits for both the staff and their families making it a preferred employer. Moreover, the experience of leading experts in the company is used in the evaluation of assets in the process of making acquisitions in other countries.

The company is also very active in supporting the development of the local business – by relying on the services of local specialized suppliers and contractors and deepening the mutual collaboration with them, as well as attracting other businesses to the region.

Social Responsibility

ContourGlobal Maritsa East 3 dvelopes and designes a strong and versatile programme for social investments and corporate social responsibility, which spreads from implementing infrastructural projects to sharing experience, good practices, and knowledge with a wide range of interested parties. In the two years since ContourGlobal arrived in Bulgaria, it has supported numerous initiatives on local and regional level in collaboration with strategic and socially active partners. The range of the projects includes environment initiatives, projects for youth and children, as well as support to disabled people – all o f them building long-lasting and more fruitful relations.

The company is implementing a 4-year CSR agreement signed with the Galabovo Municipality in 2012, which stimulates large-scale mutual collaboration and social responsibility in the fields of protection of the environment, public utilities, healthcare, education and sports. The agreement provides an annual budget of BGN 500,000 for development of projects that improve the life of local people, help people with special needs, vivify the social and cultural life in the region, etc. The agreement empowers company’s employees and local groups to propose projects for joint implementation by the company and the Municipality.

In 2012 the company implemented 2 large-scale projects under this agreement - the refurbishment of the playground of the Radost Kindergarten and the upgrade of the X-ray of the local hospital.

In 2013 a large scale infrastructure project of Obruchishte Village is close to completion. It includes the refurbishment of the administration building, the playground and recreation area of the village, as well as its cemetery.

Volunteers from ContourGlobal Maritsa East 3 joined the traditional Volunteer Day initiatives, organized by the Bulgarian Charity Aid Foundation (BCAF) and the American Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria. Each time they expanded the number and the scope of their actions, contributing to the improvement of the living conditions and the social integration of disadvantaged people and children from the Day Care Center for People with Mental Disorders “St. St. Kozma and Damyan” and the Maria Terezia orphanage in Stara Zagora, and Prof. Dr. Decho Denev Secondary Specialized School for Hearing Impaired Children in Sofia.

After joining the UN Global Compact in Bulgaria in April 2012, ContourGlobal Maritsa East 3 has been an active supporter of its initiatives. The company took part in a number of events of the organization in various towns in the country and became the initiator of the national celebration of the 2013 World Environment Day, June 5. Two of the five initiatives registered in the UNEP website on that occasion were organized by ContourGlobal Maritsa East 3 – the national and the internal ones.

In September 2012 ContourGlobal Maritsa East 3 became the official partner of the 2012 edition of the I have a Friend – a Good Samaritan campaign organized by Samaritans Association. It was the only business entity invited by the organizers to take part in this edition of the project. The annual initiative aims at seeking and giving acknowledgement to people and communities on the territory of the Stara Zagora region who have assisted someone in deep trouble.

In the same month ContourGlobal Maritsa East 3 was the main partner of the Be Literate initiative in Stara Zagora, organized by the Akademika BG educational portal. The event aimed at encouraging literacy and building accurate reading and writing skills - a factor of first significance for everyone’s successful future.

In November 2012, together with the Green Balkans environmental organization, ContourGlobal Maritsa East 3 inaugurated a Visitors Information Corner at the Wild Animals Rescue Center in Stara Zagora. The project helped the green organization to welcome students and guests curious about the protection of the wild life and to encourage the efforts towards the preservation of biodiversity.

About ContourGlobal Maritsa East 3

ContourGlobal Maritsa East 3 is an important part of the large energy family of the international company ContourGlobal, independent power producer.

In Bulgaria, ContourGlobal is the majority owner of ContourGlobal Maritsa East 3 TPP, one of the four thermal power plants in the Maritsa East Complex. It is the first coal-fired thermal power plant in the Balkans, which operates in full compliance with the highest European standards for safety and environment preservation. ContourGlobal Maritsa East 3 produces affordable electricity, and its price is third cheapest in the Bulgarian energy market.

In 2013 ContourGlobal Maritsa East 3 is again a partner of the Good Samaritans Annual Awards, organized by the Samaritans Association in Stara Zagora, for the recognition of a particular person. This is a way to identify and select people who deserve general public respect and appreciation as a consequence from their doing good to another person or people in a difficult situation.

About ContourGlobal

ContourGlobal is a New York based international power-generation company with
approximately 3000 MW in operations or under construction in 17 countries and on four
continents. ContourGlobal’s 1650 employees manage, own and operate a portfolio of 33
power plants utilizing a wide range of fuel types and technologies such as large thermal plants CCGT’s and including renewable energy production based upon Hydro , wind, solar and biomass.