Bulgaria EconMin: Nuclear Plant Won't Be Built without Investor

Business » ENERGY | September 27, 2009, Sunday // 19:26
Bulgaria EconMin: Nuclear Plant Belene Won't Be Build without Investor: Bulgaria EconMin: Nuclear Plant Won't Be Built without Investor In a Sunday interview, Bulgaria's Economy, Energy and Tourism Minister, Traicho Traikov, said the cabinet would commit to energy projects only after a careful analysis of their advantages and disadvantages. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria's Economy, Energy and Tourism Minister, Traicho Traikov, said that his Ministry was in the process of analyzing the NPP Belene project.

Traikov spoke in an interview for the Bulgarian TV channel Nova Televizia Sunday and said if the cabinet fails to find a suitable investor, the Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) Belene won't be built.

The Minister pointed out the new cabinet has the political will to finish Belene and the project is not frozen, just they did not want to fund it with the Bulgarian tax payers' money.

Traikov further informed that the government has declined to sign the next agreement with the Russian "Atomstroiexport" but discussed with its CEO, Sergey Kirienko, the steps in approaching the project.

The decision about the NPP must be made by the largest possible political circle, according to the Minister, who, however, explained a referendum would not be the best way to deal with the final resolution about Belene.

Bulgaria can participate in the project with less than 20% and one of the conditions is for the State to not be mandated to purchase electricity from the NPP at high prices, Traikov pointed out.

Another condition would be to determine the specific investment package for each investor, Traikov said, adding the Russians were not the only ones interested in Belene.

The Minister informed that on September 29 he would announce the next steps he plans to take regarding the NPP, on the heels of his Monday meeting with the German RWE. According to him RWE had not officially confirmed they were withdrawing from the project as Bulgarian media reported.

Traikov also spoke about the idea to build two more units at the existing NPP Kozloduy, which he defined as very logical, but underestimated idea.

Regarding the Burgas-Alexandroupulis oil pipe line, the Minister explained it also has advantages such as being the shortest pipe line to the EU, and the transit taxes Bulgaria would profit from while the disadvantages included the risk of oil spills.

"This project depends equally from Bulgaria, Greece and Russia. It will be build only if all Bulgarian requests are fulfilled," Traikov stated.

 

 

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Tags: NPP, Belene NPP Kozloduy NPP, Traicho Traikov, Sergey Kirienko, Atomstroyexport, RWE, Burgas Alexandroupolis Oil Pipeline

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