EU: Kozloduy Units to Stay Shut Down

Politics » BULGARIA IN EU | January 17, 2008, Thursday // 00:00

European energy commissioner Andris Piebalgs has slammed Bulgaria's plans to restart two older reactors at its Kozloduy nuclear power plant, state news agency BTA said on Thursday.

A day earlier, Bulgarian prime minister Sergey Stanishev said the country's cabinet was lobbying for the restart of the twin 440 M units 3 and 4 at the plant, which it had to shut down hours before it joined the EU in January 2007.

As far as the European Commission is concerned, that decision is final, Piebalgs was quoted as saying by BTA.

Only an energy crisis in the region could prompt the European executive to allow the power plant to restart the two reactors, but it has contingency plans that would deal with the crisis before such a need arises.

With British Nuclear Fuels plc (BNFL) and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) reported to be interested in operating the two reactors, Stanishev said Bulgaria could lease the units to the foreign firm that will help lobby for their restart.

Sofia estimates the lost revenue from shutting down the two reactors at EUR 2,5 B and argues that the units pose no danger, a point of view that is not shared by the EU.

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