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Nuclear power plants in Bulgaria
Active plants
Future plants
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. Under a 1993 agreement between the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Bulgarian Government these were to be closed, although significant safety upgrade work in the 90's led to favourable operating reviews from the IAEA. Units 1 and 2 were closed in 2002 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).[1] 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 and will make Bulgaria less reliant on Russian natural gas supplies.[2]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ The World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2007 pp. 31-32.
- ^ Nuclear ambitions fan controversy in Bulgaria
[edit] External links and references
