Bulgaria's Maritsa Iztok 2 Thermal Power Plant has conducted a successful experiment with burning brown coal from the Pernik basin.

The test was conducted as the Maritsa Iztok Mines, which went on strike on Sunday evening, cut coal supplies to the TPP.

In 4 hours, 200 tons of coal were burned at cauldron 12 of Block 8 of the TPP.

The monitoring of the technological process showed an optimal burning of the energy source.

The experiment proved that the characteristics of brown coal are in line with the systems at the TPP's cauldrons and are a good alternative to the ones used so far.

The capacity of Block 8 of Maritsa Iztok 2 has remained unchanged.

The efficiency of the sulphur purification facility of the unit has increased because this type of coal has a lower sulphur content, below 1%.

The Maritsa Iztok 2 TPP will start receiving supplies from the St Elizabeth mine in the Pernik coal basin, whose concessionaire is Belgian Rekoul AD.

Maritsa Iztok 2 will initially receive 1000 tons per day but the quantities will be gradually increased and burned in all cauldrons of the TPP.