Eurasia Press & News
BULGARIA
Bulgarian Economy, Energy and Tourism Minister Traicho Traikov has announced that the construction of Belene Nuclear Power Plant will cost around EUR 10 billion (USD 14.6 billion), local media reported on Saturday.
Traikov gave the example of Kozloduy nuclear power plant (NPP),stating that the same installations would be made at the Belene nuclear power plant.
He said that the Kozloduy NPP made a profit of around EUR 100 million last year and most likely will make the same amount this year.
Regarding the construction of the Belene NPP, Traikov said: “The question is whether we as a society want to invest EUR 5 billion, as our share in this project, assuming that risk.”
Traikov expressed satisfaction that Russian Energy Minister Sergey Shmatko had accepted his invitation for a meeting in Sofia on Sept. 17.
The minister said that he needs to see what the Russian decisions and commitments are to the Bulgarian energy projects. He added that all agreements that are made and are not trade secrets must be made public.
The Bulgarian and Russian delegations will discuss the future of the South Stream gas transit pipeline, the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline, and the Belene Nuclear Power Plant.
Traikov concluded that he is not ruling out the possibility that all three Bulgaria-Russia energy projects can be carried out, adding that his job however was to look after the interests of the country and its children.
