The Belene Nuclear Power Plant project that Bulgaria abandoned in March is still the most profitable and the most fully prepared to be launched among all nuclear projects in Europe, according to Rosatom head Sergey Kiriyenko.

Kiriyenko has noted that the Russian state-owned company respects Bulgaria's decision to scrap the project, the Bulgarian BGNES news agency reports.

"I am now more cautious regarding the Belene NPP, since we have done everything possible to save it. I still believe that Bulgaria will someday reconsider its stance on the Belene project," Kiriyenko has been quoted as saying.

Earlier on Monday, Bogomil Manchev, Chairman of the Bulgarian Atomic Forum BULATOM, stated that a private investor could possibly purchase the abandoned project by the end of 2012.

However, Bulgarian Economy and Energy Minister Delyan Dobrev declared that he does not know of a particular strategic investor which might revive the Belene project.

After almost three years of balking at it,  Bulgaria's center-right GERB cabinet abandoned the NPP project in March 2012, declaring it to be "economically unfeasible". The plant was supposed to be built by Russian company Atomstroyexport, a subsidiary of Rosatom.

The construction of the Belene Nuclear Power Plant would have cost EUR 10.35 B in the best case scenario, according to the estimates of Bulgarian government's consultant for the project, the HSBC bank.

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