Bulgaria Among EU Leaders in Female Representation in Science and Engineering
In 2023, the number of female scientists and engineers in the European Union reached 7.7 million
Bulgaria could find private investors to complete the ditched Belene nuclear power plant (NPP) project, with assistance from the state, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov suggested on Friday.
The project, which was to be carried out by Russian company Atomstroyexport, was abandoned in 2012. In June, however, an arbitration forced Bulgaria to pay EUR 550 for a nuclear reactor and other equipment already produced for the plant.
Since then, the prospect to revive Belene has been on the agenda, with Borisov not ruling it out as an option and Bulgaria willing to set up a working group with Russia to discuss a possible renewal.
Borisov on Friday said a private mode of construction was much more suitable for Belene, with Bulgaria having incurred billions in losses by investing into the abandoned project.
"When we pay the [EUR] 557 M, we will have two reactors... The state doesn't have now [the capacity] to put aside 20% of its GDP for the construction. Let's make it a private project, through the privatization agency... the state's share cannot be too big," he said.
Bulgaria had earlier explored the option to sell the reactors and other equipment to Iran. However, after lack of response from the Islamic Republic, Borisov noted the country canot afford to take the reactor and "put it into a museum."
Ukraine's parliament has given the green light for the acquisition of two nuclear reactors initially intended for Bulgaria's Belene Nuclear Power Plant (NPP)
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
Bulgaria's Perperikon: A European Counterpart to Peru's Machu Picchu
Bulgarians Among EU's Least Frequent Vacationers, Struggling with Affordability