Bulgaria's N-plant prepares to close old reactors
Date: 19-Jun-00
Country: BULGARIA
Author: Liliana Semerdjieva
Bulgaria, which started talks on joining the EU in March, had bowed to its
pressure and agreed to close the two 440-megawatt reactors at the Soviet-designed
plant before 2003. They were previously due to close in 2004 and 2005
respectively.
A final decision over closing the a further two ageing reactors will be taken
after Bulgaria updates its energy strategy in 2002 and negotiates with the
European Commission.
The understanding of the commission is that final closure of these reactors takes
place in 2006 at the latest, officials have said. The current energy strategy of
the Balkan country envisages shutdowns in 2008 and 2010.
But Yordanov said reconstruction of reactors three and four would continue,
indicating that Bulgaria might want to keep them going for longer.
"After their reconstruction we hope that they will reach an internationally
acceptable safety level and we will be permitted to operate them to the end of
their operational life," he said.
Bulgaria gets almost half of its energy from the 3,760-megawatt Kozloduy plant,
located some 200 km (120 miles) north of Sofia on the Danube River.
The plant also has two more modern 1,000-megawatt reactors and two weeks ago the
European Commission signed a 212.5 million euro ($223 million) loan to help
modernise them.
The overall modernisation programme will cost 490 million euros and the balance
of its cost is to be covered by U.S. and Russian credits and by plant's own
funds, Yordanov said.
Most of the work is carried out by a consortium, comprising Germany's Siemens AG,
France's Framatome and Russia's Atomenergoexport. The remaining will be performed
by U.S.-based Westinghouse.
"We have already started the modernisation with our own funds and hope to be
awarded a $90 million credit from a Russian bank within two months and another
loan from a U.S. lending institution," Yordanov said.
The plant, which was set up as a legal entity separate from the National
Electricity Company (NEC) on April 28, has agreed with the NEC "favourable
prices" for its production. Kozloduy plans to produce 17 billion kilowatt hours
this year.
Yordanov said prices agreed with the NEC, which is the country's single buyer
under a programme for restructuring the energy sector, would help the Kozloduy
plant make a profit this year and carry out its overhaul projects. ($=0.953).
