Eurasia Press & News
Bulgaria has initiated talks with Russia for a EUR3.8 billion for the construction of its second NPP in Belene, Economy and Energy Minister Petar Dimitrov said Monday.
Dimitrov who was on an official visit to Moscow last week told the Bulgarian National radio that the decision to seek Russian funding came after German energy giant RWE had demanded that the issue of the financial support for the project was to be settled before construction commences.
According to Mr Dimitrov Russian funding had only been a last resort for the government.
RWE, which won the tender for constructor, was supposed to start financing the project as soon as the joint venture with Bulgaria’s National Electric Company was founded. But it now appears that RWE have changed their minds.
Last week Dimitrov paid a visit to Moscow, where he held talks with Russian Energy Minister Sergey Shmatko and Sergey Kirienko the President of the Russian State Nuclear Power Corporation Rosatom.
Dimitrov reminded that Russian PM Vladimir Putin said that his country could allot EUR3.8 billion for the Belene NPP when he visited Sofia last year.
