AES Bulgaria – working with local authorities and communities to boost economic development and improve living standards

Since the launch of operations in Bulgaria in 2011, the company has invested over BGN 14 million (€7.2 million) in programs for local communities and provides employment, directly and indirectly, for more than 4,500 people in Bulgaria.

AES contributes to Bulgaria’s economic growth and social development by providing reliable electricity supplies and employment but also by investing in local infrastructure and the communities where the company operates.

The company is an important partner for the municipalities where it is present. Since the start of its operations, AES Bulgaria has invested more than BGN 14 million (€7.2 million) in a variety of Corporate Social Responsibility programs in the towns of Galabovo and Kavarna, where its power plant and wind farm are located. These programs are tailored to the needs of the local communities and are designed to make a lasting difference to infrastructure, education, sports and healthcare.

In Galabovo, AES Bulgaria has partnered with local authorities to completely renovate and reconstruct the local youth center which provides education, culture and leisure opportunities for the local population of 8,000 people. This is the most significant public-private partnership project in the Stara Zagora District. Thanks to this facility, which was entirely funded by AES, Galabovo now hosts the most advanced sports and cultural facility in the area.

Minister of Energy Temenuzhka Petkova said at the center’s inauguration ceremony in 2016 that it “would improve the quality of life of people of the region”.

AES also contributed to rebuilding the main road in Galabovo, Republic Boulevard, which is used by people working at the Maritza East complex and Maritza basin mines. Another project that makes us proud is the full refurbishment of the elderly care kitchen and services center in Kavarna. The facility looks after elderly and disabled people in the local municipality by providing them with fresh food and meeting other care needs.

Here at AES Bulgaria we believe that education is key to social, economic and personal development. The company has donated digital “blackboards” to all the schools in the Kavarna municipality. It also helps keep open the school in the village of Obruchishte, near Galabovo, by providing students’ lunches and transportation to the school as well as covering the school’s heating costs, among other things. Keeping the school open saves the children having to travel long distances for their education.

Access to quality healthcare is also critical and AES Bulgaria has contributed to the renovation of a hospital in Kavarna which serves over 20,000 local residents and the numerous tourists who visit the region in the summer. AES has also provided a brand-new ambulance for the Galabovo hospital and contributed to the purchase of an ultrasound scanner and a digital X-ray machine for Kavarna’s medical center.

In addition, AES has launched several environmental initiatives that involve AES people volunteering for activities such as planting trees or cleaning local parks.

Since entering the Bulgarian energy market 17 years ago, AES Bulgaria has invested more than BGN 3.2 billion (€1.6bn) in the country. AES built and operates the newest and most modern Thermal Power Plant (TPP) in the country, AES Galabovo, and a waste disposal facility that services it, as well as the largest wind park in Bulgaria, St Nikola. AES has also contributed to the local and national economy, having paid more than BGN 703 million in taxes and social security contributions to state and local budgets.

AES Bulgaria also contributes to Bulgaria’s economy by supporting a total of around 4,500 local jobs. For instance, AES Galabovo uses only local fuel, which is mined just several kilometers away in the Maritza basin. The plant uses about five million tons of lignite annually, which represents around 27% of the annual output of Maritza East Mines where about 2,000 miners are employed. AES Bulgaria’s power plant ensures the stability of the country’s energy system while complying fully with the EU’s environmental regulations.

AES is a strategic partner for Bulgaria that invests in energy solutions that help Bulgaria meet its electricity needs. At the same time, the company provides employment to local people and supports community-oriented programs that improve the quality of life of the people of Bulgaria.