Acting Minister of Energy Vladimir Malinov will propose to the parliament to take a decision on extending the term for conducting negotiations with Ukraine for the sale of the equipment for the discontinued construction project of the Belene NPP.
One of the reasons is the need to update the assessment of nuclear assets and determine their final price.
The Ministry must also prepare an analysis as to whether one of the steam generators delivered to the “Belene” NPP should be left for use in the “Kozloduy” NPP. The reason is the leaking steam generator of Unit VI of the plant in Kozloduy since last year. Since June 14, the reactor has been shut down for another repair, which is not clear when it will be finished.
Before the deputies, Malinov pointed out that according to analyzes of the Kozloduy NPP, the development of a new steam generator for the sixth unit will take at least four years and it will be necessary to conclude a contract with a Russian organization. Currently, no other manufacturer of steam generators can produce equipment that is suitable for the Russian nuclear unit.
In 2023, the nuclear plant itself issued two contradictory opinions on the suitability of a steam generator from the Belene NPP for Unit VI of the Kozloduy NPP. Therefore, the minister will now assign a new analysis not only to the headquarters in Kozloduy, but also to an independent auditor. After that, a decision will be made as to what part of the steam generators will be included in the list of equipment under the deal with Ukraine.
Just a few months ago – in January 2024, the previous Minister of Energy, Rumen Radev, stated that it was firmly established that the Kozloduy NPP does not need the steam generators delivered to the Belene NPP. Now suddenly the subject is back to square one.
And, according to Malinov, the value of the nuclear assets, whose need for the Belene NPP has ceased to exist, is currently being updated. The minister was asked to say what the value of the three nuclear equipment assessments carried out so far was, but he refrained, arguing that the amount would be announced when the new assessment was ready.
According to the decision of the National Assembly on the sale of equipment to Ukraine, the transaction should not take place at a price lower than BGN 1.2 billion.
The deadline for the implementation of the parliament’s decision has long expired, and therefore Malinov will propose the adoption of a new decision with a new deadline for concluding the negotiations with Kiev.
The caretaker minister made it clear. that the previous government did not pay much attention to the negotiations on the Ukrainian deal for the equipment of the Belene NPP.
BSP deputy Borislav Gutsanov announced that the party will submit a proposal to suspend negotiations with Ukraine until the possibility of using equipment from the Belene NPP to solve the problem with the leaking steam generator unit VI of the Kozloduy NPP is clarified.
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