Bulgaria’s interest in nuclear power

Bulgaria is to press forward with constructing the Belene nuclear power station should finding issues be resolved. Belene was begun in 1987, but a lack of finance halted the project by 1991.

Bulgarska Telegrafna Agentsia Radiotelevizionen reported Monday that Bulgarian Energy Minister Traycho Traykov said during an interview in response to a question about Belen’s construction that the government was seeking to clarify financing arrangements before taking a final decision on the plant’s construction.

Traykov observed, “First of all we must clarify our situation and what options we have in adopting our future decisions. We have been doing this from the very beginning. This is the position we have presented to our Russian colleagues (who will construct the facility), who have accepted it. This is the road we will follow from now on.

“This means that the next steps we should do in connection with ‘Belene’ are to prepare the financing structure, invite investors who are interested in having a share in the project under the conditions we would pose and the price we set. Afterward, on the basis of the interest which has been shown we will decide whether to implement or not the project.”