Glavbolgarstroy and the European Construction Industry Federation (FIEC) officially inaugurated the pilot construction waste recycling plant “MOBICCON-PRO,” with Bulgarian EU Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva attending as the event’s guest of honor.

The official opening was led by Eng. Kamen Peshov, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Glavbolgarstroy Holding, and Laurentiu Plosceanu, Vice President of the European Construction Industry Federation (FIEC), who welcomed officials, guests, and partners participating in this pioneering project for Southeastern Europe. The initiative lays a strong foundation for the integration of circular economy principles into the construction sector in Bulgaria.

“We first saw such a facility about 20 years ago on the outskirts of Milan during the demolition of old buildings. We were surprised to see how building waste was immediately recycled for reuse. After some initial skepticism, we asked ourselves when Bulgaria would have a similar facility,” said Eng. Kamen Peshov during the inauguration.

The launch of the plant was attended by prominent guests, including EU Commissioner for Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Innovation and Growth Tomislav Donchev, Minister of Environment and Water Manol Genov, MEP Tsvetelina Penkova – Vice Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy – and Eng. Iliyan Terziev, Chairman of the Management Board of the Bulgarian Construction Chamber.

“I’m proud that such a project is being launched right here in Bulgaria. With MOBICCON-PRO, the Green Deal, sustainability, and the economy go hand in hand. This is exactly the goal of the Horizon Europe program – to create networks and connections between business, academia, local authorities, and other institutions,” stated Commissioner Zaharieva.

The recycling and reuse of construction waste is a direct response to one of Europe’s major challenges – resource dependency. This was also emphasized by MEP Tsvetelina Penkova, who noted that the MOBICCON-PRO project demonstrates that the construction sector can serve as a platform for innovation, technologies, and solutions for a sustainable, secure, and just future.

MOBICCON-PRO is an international research project in the field of circular economy in construction, funded by Horizon Europe – the EU’s largest public program for research and innovation.

The project is developed by a consortium of 10 European organizations, led by the Bulgarian construction holding. Partners come from France, Belgium, Denmark, Bulgaria, and Serbia, and include leading universities, research institutes, technology and industry organizations, local authorities, and more. The goal is to develop, deploy, and demonstrate the effectiveness of a circular system solution for construction waste management and the production of high-grade recycled construction materials and products.

The concept aims to establish a comprehensive approach to inert waste treatment, transforming it into a resource and reintegrating it into the construction process and the market. The plant is equipped with various machinery, including prototypes and technological solutions for crushing, screening, precision sorting, and flotation-based purification. These processes support the production of high-quality secondary and innovative construction products and materials.

Pictured: Eng. Kamen Peshov opens the event and welcomes the officials, guests, and project partners.