AES Galabovo - Focused on sustainability
AES Galabovo, a 600 MW lignite fired power plant in Bulgaria, has been in operation since 2010. The business also operates a waste disposal facility to accommodate the combustion and FGD by-products, 2.5 million tonnes annually.
The by-product is transported to an engineered disposal site. In support of AES’ focus on sustainability, the facility was engineered to meet rigid environmental and safety standards. Apart from applying robust leachate controls – clay liner, HDPE liner and geotextile filters – AES successfully promoted regulatory changes, permitting the replacement of natural gravel with geocomposite drainage. Along with significant cost reduction, extraction of 2,500,000 tonnes of gravel from local riverbeds will be saved over the next 15 years. Environmental controls include proprietary dust suppression with reused leachate water, noise monitoring and traffic discipline.
Safety, the core AES’ value, is managed proactively by means of safety walks, inspections, near-miss reporting and training of contractors.
CSR programme is in place to address local communities’ educational, cultural and infrastructure needs.
Extension of disposal capacity is progressing ahead of schedule. With 20 pieces of earth moving equipment, 40 trucks and a workforce of 70 people, the contractors are able to achieve monthly productivities of 300,000 m3 earthworks and 40,000 m2 geo-liners.
Tihomir Temelkov CEng, ICE Member in Bulgaria, and his colleague Svetoslav Nikolov, WDF Development and Construction Manager, submitted this article.