Nuclear power in Bulgaria

Belene

Kozloduy

Nuclear power plants in Bulgaria
 Active plants
 Future plants

The Bulgarian government has favored nuclear power for the generation of electricity since 1956, and Bulgaria's first commercial nuclear reactor began to operate in 1974..^[1] The government plans to build two new units at the Belene Nuclear Power Plant. A contract with Russian Atomstroyexport has been signed for two AES-92 VVER-1000 reactors.^[2]

In Bulgaria, the Kozloduy NPP operated six pressurized water reactors with a total output of 3760 MW-electricity. Two of these, units 5 and 6, are currently operational with a total rating of 1906 MW. The first two reactors (units 1 and 2) to be built starting in 1966 were older Soviet VVER-440 V230 reactors. Units 3 and 4 were VVER-440 V213 reactors with significant safety upgrades, and the final two units were the more powerful VVER-1000 V320 units, completed in 1988 and 1992. Units 1 and 2 were closed in 2004 as part of the process of initiating accession to the European Union (EU), with a compensating payment of €200 million; Units 3 and 4 despite the safety updgrades, were powered down simultaneously with final accession to the EU, raising the compensation to €550 million.

Work has started on the Belene Nuclear Power Plant's two reactors for another approximately 2GW of nuclear power generation, targeted for first power in 2013. The total cost of the project is now estimated by the operator to be around €7 billion (€4 billion for the power stations plus associated infrastructure development costs)^[3]. Critics say the project is economically flawed, open to corruption and mismanagement, and will cement Russian dominance of Bulgaria's energy sector. The government says global energy pressures make the project necessary.^[4]

Radioactive waste

Bulgaria has a state agency in charge of radioactive waste disposal. Under a 2002 agreement, Bulgaria pays Russia $620 thousand/ton to reprocess spent fuel. The country also spent EUR 49 million to construct a new storage facility and has plans to build another facility by 2015.^[5]

See also

• Energy in Bulgaria
• Politics of Bulgaria
• List of nuclear reactors

References

1. ^ "Nuclear Power in Bulgaria". World Nuclear Organization. August 2010. http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf87.html. Retrieved 2010-10-06. 
2. ^ "Belene contract 'opens new prospects' for Russia in Europe". World Nuclear News. 2008-01-18. http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/newsarticle.aspx?id=14696. Retrieved 2008-01-26. 
3. ^ Schneider, Mycle; Froggatt, Antony (January 2008) (PDF). The World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2007. Greens-EFA Group in the European Parliament. pp. 32–32. http://www.greens-efa.org/cms/topics/dokbin/206/206749.pdf. Retrieved 2010-06-20. 
4. ^ Brunwasser, Matthew (2007-10-30). "Nuclear ambitions fan controversy in Bulgaria". The New York Times (The New York Times Company). http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/30/business/worldbusiness/30iht-renbulg.1.8121278.html. Retrieved 2010-06-20. 
5. ^ “Nuclear Power in Bulgaria.” World Nuclear Association February 2008. < http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf87.html>

External links

• Uranium Information Center: Nuclear energy in Bulgaria
• Bulgarian Subject Files - Ecology: Nuclear Power Plant Open Society Archives, Budapest
• World Nuclear Association Report on Bulgaria's Nuclear Energy History and Present