Prime Minister Rumen Radev announced that the Maritsa-Iztok Mine complex and the state-owned Maritsa-Iztok 2 thermal power plant will continue operating until 2038, providing a 12-year horizon for Bulgaria’s coal sector as the country navigates the transition toward cleaner energy sources. Speaking after discussions in Brussels, Radev said the future of coal-fired power generation and the protection of workers in the sector were among the key issues raised with European institutions.