The European Commission (EC) has asked Bulgaria to make changes to plans for Sofia's future refuse processing facility to reduce the cost, currently estimated at 209 million leva, according to statements by the EC and the government in Sofia.

The spent fuel utilisation aspect of the project should be revised, Sofia deputy mayor Maria Boyadzhiyska said.

On December 6 2010, Prime Minister Boiko Borissov told Nova TV that the EC request was because "the project is estimated at 190 million euro, which is considered [by the EC] too expensive and they want to make it cheaper". However, this would not delay the plant being built, Borissov said.

"We have requested a new evaluation of the possible technology at the plant and a reduction in the price," Ton van Lierop, spokeperson for European Regional Policy Commissioner Johannes Hahn,said.

Van Lierop said that the EC wanted the plan for the refuse treatment system divided into two stages. The first phase would be the construction of green and food garbage landfills and composting facilities, and the second the construction of the plant.

The EC has already agreed to finance the first phase of the project and has decided to allocate additional funds for recycling facilities, Van Lierop said.

Sofia, however, will need to revise its application to allow Brussels to determine the project's final price.

Brussels also insisted on a feasibility study on using fuel produced at the refuse processing plant as feedstock for heating utility Toplofikatsia, but Sofia has so far failed to respond, Van Lierop said.

Boyadzhiyska said that the municipality was almost ready with the documents about the installation.













Source: Dnevnik.bg