After the facility failed to meet European Union environmental regulations, CEZ has opted to close its 1260 MW coal-fired power plant at Varna, Bulgaria on the Black Sea.? The company had hoped the Ukrainian-Russian crisis would have prompted Brussels to allow the coal power plant to remain open, however that consent wasn’t granted.

"Despite the general agreement on temporary inclusion of the power plant into the system during the winter of 2015 in case of a gas crisis, the European Commission did not reply in connection to the plant's operational permits," CEZ's Bulgarian unit said in a statement.?

? Varna power plant is situated in south-eastern Bulgaria near the Black Sea port of the same name. Its generating capacity of 1,260 MW (6 x 210 MW) made Varna the largest conventional plant of CEZ Group.

CEZ Group has owned the 100% share in Varna power plant since October 2006. Recent negotiations with state-owned Bulgarian Energy Holding to fund the necessary environmental upgrades at the plant failed.

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