The World Nuclear Association urged Bulgaria to build the new NPP

2021: Failure from completion of the NPP "Belene" and the plan of creation of the new reactor for the NPP "Kozloduy"

In January, 2021 it became known that in Bulgaria will construct the "hybrid" nuclear reactor. Sofia decided to refuse completion of the new NPP "Belene", and to use the equipment for construction of the new reactor supplied by Rosatom on the operating nuclear power station of "Kozloduy". Such option was offered by the American Westinghouse which will sell to Bulgaria technologies for the power unit and will accompany construction.

"A maximum in 10 years Bulgaria can receive the new nuclear reactor. Today at a meeting of the Government we approved the report of the Minister of Energy on a possibility of construction of the atomic power unit on the NPP "Kozloduy", says the prime minister of Bulgaria Boyko Borisov on his page on Facebook.

The head of the government specified that in 2020 created the working group of experts and in the report they supported construction of the power unit using the equipment which Rosatom already supplied for completion of other NPP, Belene. Its cost is estimated at $800 million.

The Energy Minister of Bulgaria reported that construction of the reactor with a power of 1 000 MW for the NPP "Kozloduy" using the Russian equipment was recommended including the American experts — from Westinghouse.

"During negotiations they told that they are not going to offer the reactor AP-1000 of Bulgaria, and will support the idea of use of the equipment which was supplied within the Belene project — Temenuzhka Petkova at a meeting of the Government told. She added that Westinghouse will perform the project with the available equipment and, for example, will provide security systems^[1].

Two Soviet reactors of the NPP "Kozloduy" with a total power of 2 000 MW operating still provide 30% of needs of Bulgaria for the electric power. In 2008 the division of Rosatom, Atomstroyexport, began to build in the country the new NPP — Belene. However in 2012 under pressure of Washington and Brussels the project was stopped, and Sofia had to pay more than 600 million euros for already carried out works and the supplied equipment. In 2018 the parliament obliged to find the Ministry of Energy of strategic investors for completion of Belene, and the tender which so far Sofia officially did not refuse was announced.

"At "Kozloduya" there are a lot of advantages as it is the live developed platform while on Belene a lot of things should be created literally from scratch. Discussions about where it is necessary to build new blocks (Belene or "Kozloduy") are conducted in Bulgaria for many years, and becomes the favourite one platform, another. Now we see that the choice favors "Kozloduya" again. So already was a few years ago, then started talking about Belene, again now — again about Kozloduye — the director of autonomous nonprofit organization for support of development of atomic science, the equipment and education "Atominfo-center" Alexander Uvarov says. According to him, Bulgaria needs to decide that it wants and not to recede from the made choice: "Differently there is a danger that they have in general nothing new will construct".

2018: The World Nuclear Association urged Bulgaria to build the NPP "Belene"

Bulgaria should construct new nuclear power plant to satisfy needs of the country for the electric power, the CEO of the World Nuclear Association Agneta Rayzing said, acting in parliament of Bulgaria on January 25, 2018, reports the WNN agency.

The Rayzing was noted by importance of application of low-hydrocarbon power and also presence of old experience at Bulgaria in use of nuclear energy. The head of the World Nuclear Association urged the government to give to development of the country a new impulse:

"Time that Bulgaria took the lead came and resolutely undertook the new program of nuclear construction"^[2].

Also Rayzing noted that the new NPP will bring to the country huge benefits for economy and the environment and also will support hundreds of highly skilled jobs.

For the beginning of 2018 about 35% of the electric power in Bulgaria are developed on the NPP "Kozloduy" constructed still by the USSR. The station consists of six atomic blocks, four of which were stopped in 2002 and 2006, as a condition about accession to the European Union.

2017: Resumption of the dialogue with Rosatom

At the end of 2017 Bulgaria charged to Academy of Sciences to analyze possible options of actions on the NPP "Belene", and the academy established that completion of the station can be profitable to the country, under certain conditions. In parallel with it between Russia and Bulgaria there was a dialog about possible continuation of building. And at the beginning of January, 2018 in Bulgaria there arrived a part of the heavy equipment which on the platform of the NPP "Belene" will wait for the decision of the government on the fate of the station. In such conditions continuation of cooperation with Russia becomes more and more probable.

2012: Transfer of the contract of Westinghouse, payment of a penalty to Rosatom, freezing of the project

In 2012 the government of Bulgaria made the decision to break off the contract with Russia for construction of the station. At the same time Bulgaria announced new competition on construction of the NPP which winner was the American company Westinghouse. However and this station was not built as Westinghouse refused providing investments under the project. As a result Bulgaria was left without the station and paid a penalty to Rosatom.

2010: Change of the government of Bulgaria and stop of works

In 2009 in Bulgaria the government was replaced and in 2010 construction works were suspended.

2006: Contract signature with Rosatom on construction of the station

In 2005 Bulgaria held a competition on construction of the new NPP "Belene" which winner was Rosatom, and at the end of 2006 the construction contract of the station was signed.

Шаблон:Subject Nuclear power

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