MRRD: Over BGN 2 billion will be invested in the coal regions

Over BGN 2 billion will be provided by the Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works (MRRD) under the Just Transition Fund for investments in the regions of Pernik, Kyustendil and Stara Zagora in 2025.

The funds are intended to support the development of the three regions that will be most affected by a reduction in the volumes of coal mining and electricity production.

In 2025, it is planned to launch 8 measures under Priority 4 "Just transition" of the "Regional Development 2021-2027" Program, which are aimed at local businesses, municipalities, the non-governmental sector, those working in the "Energy" sector, etc.

This was announced by the Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works and head of the Program's Governing Body, Yura Vitanova, who co-chaired meetings of the Just Transition Subcommittees to the 2027-2021 RDP Monitoring Committee in the three cities last week.

They were attended by Asya Stankova - Chief Director of the Main Directorate "Strategic Planning and Programs for Regional Development" in the Ministry of Regional Development, the regional governors of the three regions who are co-chairmen of the subcommittees by location, representatives of the European Commission, mayors, experts from the ministries of regional development and public works, energy and labor and social policy, non-governmental organizations, business representatives, trade union organizations, regional government structures, etc.

Nearly BGN 300 million will be directed to support energy communities for the development of clean energy solutions. More than BGN 262 million are planned to support production investments in large enterprises in the Stara Zagora region. BGN 276 million will finance the reclamation of mining grounds. BGN 127,5 million will be available for qualification and retraining of personnel, and BGN 300 million are for investments to build hydrogen production capacity. A measure for the construction of photovoltaic parks worth BGN 41,8 million is planned, as well as for the implementation of clean energy measures in enterprises for BGN 138,7 million. For research and development projects, 137,2 BGN XNUMX million

Asya Stankova informed that by the end of this month it is expected that a procedure will be opened to support those working in the affected sectors through training for qualification and retraining, which will have a budget of just over 110 million BGN. Of these, the resource for the Kyustendil region is 31,55 BGN 5,54 million, for Pernik district - BGN 73,2 million and BGN 10 million for Stara Zagora district and its 12 adjacent municipalities. Specific beneficiaries of the procedure are the XNUMX enterprises working in the "Energy" sector, included in the three territorial plans for a just transition of the coal mining areas.

More procedures

Efforts are underway to announce three more procedures by the end of 2024. The first is mapping the skills of indirectly affected persons in the areas most affected by the climate transition with an indicative value of the grants 1 million BGN. The second measure aims to support the diversification and adaptation of small and medium-sized enterprises to the economic transition with an indicative budget of 250 million BGN, and the third - support for industrial and logistics parks and zones, the grants for which are in the amount of BGN 140 million.

Deputy Minister Vitanova informed that thanks to the efforts of the interim government in June this year the first measure under the program, predicting energy efficiency of multi-family residential buildings, was opened. 329 projects from 24 municipalities in the three regions were submitted. They have a total value of about BGN 455 million, or twice the secured budget of BGN 196 million. Currently, the projects are at the stage of assessment for administrative compliance and admissibility. Efforts are aimed at having the technical and financial evaluation ready by the end of the year, and at the beginning of 2025 at the conclusion of the first contracts for the approved projects.