Bulgaria's largest coal mining complex Maritsa East said its coal output reached 8.51 million tonnes in the first quarter of 2012, which is 160,000 tonnes more than projected in the company's business plan.
In February and March the mining complex made up for a fall in output in the first month of the year when workers were on strike and the weather conditions were unfavorable, Maritsa East said in a statement published on its website.
The Maritsa East mines supply coal to Bulgaria's largest power plant, Maritsa East 2, and to the Maritsa East 3 power plant, majority-owned by U.S.-based ContourGlobal.