Piloting Research and Innovation at Maritsa Iztok using wasted clays extracted during lignite mining for traditional and alternative construction materials

The Maritsa Iztok Complex (MIC) in Bulgaria is a key industrial center known for its lignite mining and coal-fired power plants near Stara Zagora. MIC comprises major thermal power plants (TPPs) like Brikel, Maritsa Iztok 2, Contour Global Marica East 3, and AES Galabovo, vital for Bulgaria's electricity. Concerns over an aging workforce and coal phaseout by 2038 have emerged since late 2023. Structural shifts in the energy market, including liberalization by 2026, pose further challenges. The Bulgarian government's Climate Neutrality Roadmap aims to phase out coal by 2038, closing one TPP in 2024 and the leading one in 2026, leaving only 1 GW by 2030. The transition requires collaboration on job transition, land reclamation, and EU environmental compliance. The Just Transition Fund supports this shift with Territorial Plans adopted for Bulgaria in late 2023. It focuses on energy efficiency, job support, training, and SMEs/R&I projects, including repurposing coal mine lands. Accelerating new products and practices, technology transfer, and embracing sustainable practices are crucial. MMI is piloting the use of wasted clays from lignite mining for construction materials, promoting circular economy principles and creating new jobs for the region's youth.