Ukraine Approves Purchase of Belene NPP Reactors from Bulgaria
The Ukrainian parliament has approved the purchase of two Russian nuclear reactors that were originally intended for the Belene Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Bulgaria
Bulgaria's Energy Ministry has sent a formal letter to state-owned Russian company Rosatom, inviting experts from the energy giant to the country, the ministry's press office says.
Minister Temenuzhka Petkova has cited the need to set up the parameters and composition of a working froup on the Belene nuclear power plant (NPP) project.
The move to form the working group was agreed by Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and Russian President Vladimir Putin last week.
Their phone conversation came after more than a year of tensions between Bulgaria and Russia with regard to energy affairs that followed the cancellation of three major joint energy projects involving the two countries in just a few years.
Prior to talks, a letter was submitted to Sofia by EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker that hinted at a possible revival of the Belene NPP project.
Borisov, whose previous government had brought the project to a halt, said in June the current one did not rule out a restart anymore, with Bulgaria being forced to buy reactors and nuclear equipment from Atomstroyexport (Rosatom's export arm) under an arbitration ruling.
The meeting of Bulgarian and Russian experts should take place between August 15 and 30, Minister Petkova has said.
For the ninth consecutive year (excluding 2022), the electrical industry remains the largest contributor to Bulgaria's exports, as reported by the Bulgarian Association of Electrical Engineering and Electronics (BASEL)
European natural gas prices have climbed above €55 per megawatt-hour for the first time in 16 months, driven by colder temperatures across the continent that are increasing demand for heating fuel
Serbian oil and gas company NIS, controlled by Russia’s Gazprom, is considering exiting its operations in Bulgaria and Romania due to ongoing difficulties in both markets
The Russian company Lukoil initiated the process of selling its Bulgarian assets in June last year, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov announced during a parliamentary hearing
In 2023, 10.6% of the population in the European Union reported being unable to keep their homes adequately warm
The Bulgarian government has announced a program to compensate businesses and non-household electricity subscribers for high energy costs until the end of March
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