Vazrazhdane Party Opposes Sale of Reactors to Ukraine
The Vazrazhdane party has declared its opposition to the sale of two Russian reactors intended for the Belene nuclear power plant project to Ukraine. The party believes that the sale is not in Bulgaria's economic interests and that the country should instead focus on renewing and extending its own nuclear capacities.
Vazrazhdane MP Iskra Mihaylova stated that the Belene NPP is one of the most advanced nuclear power plant projects in Europe and that Bulgaria could be among the first countries to renew and extend its nuclear capacities. She questioned why Bulgaria cannot build nuclear capacities with Russian technology and specialists if Ukraine is capable of doing so.
Ukraine has expressed interest in acquiring the two reactors, as well as the entirety of the equipment for the Belene nuclear power plant project, which Bulgaria terminated. The Bulgarian Nuclear Regulatory Agency is currently investigating whether the steam generators for the Belene project could be used at the Kozloduy NPP.
The sale of the equipment would definitively terminate the Belene NPP project. Tsanko Bachiyski, chairman of the Bulgarian Nuclear Regulatory Agency, stated that to construct a nuclear power plant using another technology, work would have to start from scratch, including choosing a site and obtaining permits.