Turkey Disproves Reports of Plans to Build Nuclear Plant on Bulgarian Border

Business » ENERGY | June 3, 2011, Friday // 17:02
Bulgaria: Turkey Disproves Reports of Plans to Build Nuclear Plant on Bulgarian Border Igneada, the likely site of the third Turkish nuclear power plant is only 5 km south of the Bulgarian-Turkish border, on the Black Sea coast. Map by neredennereye.com

Turkey has not confirmed reports that it plans to build a nuclear power plant in Igneada on the border with Bulgaria right on the Black Sea coast, according to EU Commissioner for Energy Gunther Oettinger.

The news was announced by Bulgarian Member of the European Parliament Andrey Kovatchev, who cited Oettinger, Darik Radio reported.

Kovatchev also said Turkey's Ambassadors in Sofia and Brussels have confirmed that their country does not intend to build nuclear reactors near the Bulgarian border.

According to Kovatchev, the requirement of the European Commission for holding stress tests has played very important role in Turkey's decisions about its NPP projects because the EC has asked Turkey as well to hold stress tests.

In April 2011, reports in Turkish media citing Energy Ministry sources said Turkey planned to construct a nuclear power plant in the small Black Sea town of Igneadai, located 5 km south of the Rezovska (Rezovo) River, which marks the Bulgarian-Turkish border.

Burgas, the fourth largest city in Bulgaria and an important tourist destination, is located only 75 km north of Igneada, and its citizens and authorities expressed concern.

Back in April, Turkish Consul in Burgas Sibel Arkan told Burgas Mayor Dimitar Nikolov that Igneada is only the project with the third highest possibility to become Turkey's third NPP and the Turkish government is yet to take a decision on its construction.

In May 2010, Turkey reached an agreement with Russia for the construction of what will become Turkey's first nuclear power plant in Mersin's Akkuyu district.

According to the agreement, Russia's state-run Atomstroyexport JSC will construct four 1000 MW reactors at the Akkuyu nuclear power plant, and will have a controlling stake in the project. The project is estimated to cost about USD 25 B and was approved by Turkey's Parliament in mid-July.

Turkey's Akkuyu NPP is viewed in Bulgaria as a competitor to the potential second Bulgarian NPP at Belene on the Danube where Atomstroyexport is supposed to construct two 1000 MW reactors.

After months of talks, at the end of 2010 Japan came closer to grabbing from South Korea a deal for the construction of a nuclear power plant in Turkey, which should become Turkey's second, to be located in Sinop on the Black Sea.

Tekirdag in European Turkey and the capital Ankara were reported at the time to be the most likely locations for Turkey's third NPP. Reports suggest that TAEK has identified Igneada on the Black Sea, as a third nuclear power plant site, future NPP site itself being 12 km from the Bulgarian border. Turkish environmentalist groups are said to be opposed to the construction of a NPP in the Thrace region in European Turkey.

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Tags: Igneada, Black Sea, Black Sea coast, Taner Yildiz, NPP, Nuclear Power Plant, South Korea, Japan, turkey, Atomstroyexport, Rosatom, Russia, Akkuyu NPP, Sinop, France, Tekirdag, Ankara, Areva, GDF Suez, EDF, Igneada NPP, Sinop NPP, greece, Cyprus, seismic risk, earthquakes, Gunther Oettinger, EU Commissioner for Energy, Andrey Kovatchev, Andrey Kovachev, MEPs

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