Incineration Norms and Government Authority — Bulgaria (2025)

Incineration Norms

  • Bulgaria does not operate dedicated municipal waste incinerators. Instead, most incineration is in co-incineration plants such as cement factories and a thermal power plant, which are permitted by Bulgarian authorities to handle refuse-derived fuel (RDF).
  • Emission Standards for New Facilities (post-1992):
    • Gas flow up to 20,000m³/h: 150mg/m³ of dust
    • 21,000 to 60,000m³/h: 130mg/m³ of dust
    • Above 60,000m³/h: 80mg/m³ of dust
  • Soot emissions are limited to 50mg/m³ regardless of gas flow rate.
  • Emission testing is performed using methods approved by the Bulgarian State Standard or the Ministry of Environment.
  • There is no specific incineration tax for municipal waste.
  • Hazardous medical waste (e.g., from hospitals) must be incinerated or treated by other approved methods according to the Waste Management Act and Ordinance No. 1/2015.

Governing and Monitoring Authorities

  • Ministry of Environment and Water (MOEW): Main authority for environmental policy, including waste management and emission monitoring.
  • Executive Environment Agency (ExEA): Operates under the MOEW, responsible for environmental monitoring and control, including incineration plants and emission testing.
  • All emission and pollution testing methodologies are approved or recommended by these authorities.
  • Licensing and inspection of co-incineration facilities (cement and power plants) is handled by MOEW and ExEA, in compliance with EU Directives transposed into Bulgarian national law.

Key Legislation

  • Waste Management Act (Закон за управление на отпадъците): Main Bulgarian law for waste management, including hazardous waste.
  • Ordinance No. 1/2015: Regulates healthcare waste management, including mandatory incineration for some hazardous wastes.
  • 2018 Waste Framework Directive (EU) and other EU Directives: Transposed into Bulgarian law for emission and recycling standards.

Additional Notes

  • Some planned incinerator projects, such as Sofia’s municipal waste incinerator, have faced legal rejection over health and environmental concerns as recently as 2024.
  • Currently, no dedicated municipal waste incineration plants operate in Bulgaria, but RDF incineration in industrial facilities is growing.

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