Russia Once Again Pushes Bulgaria on Belene N-Plant

Bulgaria's newly sworn-in Energy Minister, Dragomir Stoinev, photo by BGNES

Russian state-owned company Rosatom may withdraw its EUR 1.25 B claim against Bulgaria's National Electric Company if the Balkan country agrees to revive the abandoned Belene nuclear power plant.

This was made clear during Russian deputy Energy Minister Anatoly Yanovsky's visit to Bulgaria on Friday.

Yanovski met with Bulgaria's new Economy and Energy Minister Dragomir Stoynev on Friday.
The two officials discussed several energy projects, including Belene and the South Stream gas pipeline.

The construction of South Stream's Bulgarian section may begin by the end of 2013, it was made clear during the meeting, according to the Bulgarian National Radio.

Bulgaria's former center-right GERB government dropped the Belene project back in March 2012, declaring it economically unfeasible.

However, the new Socialist-led government, which is believed to have stronger ties with Moscow, has already hinted that it may relaunch the project.

After it was first started in the 1980s, the construction of Bulgaria's second nuclear power plant at Belene on the Danube was stopped in the early 1990s over lack of money and environmental protests.

The Belene NPP has been de facto frozen since the fall of 2009 when the previously selected strategic investor, the German company RWE, which was supposed to provide EUR 2 B in exchange for a 49% stake, pulled out.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!