Our main goal and priority is to preserve coal mining in Bulgaria and ensure continued operation of the thermal power plants, in order to guarantee this country’s energy security, Bulgaria’s Minister of Energy Temenuzhka Petkova said at a meeting with the labor unions in the energy sector. Minister Petkova reminded that according to Bulgaria’s integrated national energy and climate change plan, the thermal power plants in Maritsa East basin will function until 2030 with a horizon to continue functioning until 2050. The coal thermal power plants will remain basal power in this country’s energy field, because Bulgaria has local deposits of lignite coal and the local energy resource contributes to the diversification of the energy sources, Minister Petkova added.