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Located in: New Nuclear

20 March 2012

While the deadline for the signing of the project agreement for Bulgaria's planned Belene nuclear power plant approaches, the government continues to seek partners to help finance the project. Russia's AtomStroyExport warned that it will stop work on the project unless the agreement is signed.

Located in: Other News

08 November 2010

Bulgarian prime minister Bokyo Borisov has invited Serbia and Croatia to become minority participants in the Belene nuclear power plant project. He informed Bulgarian ministers that he had written to Serbian president Boris Tadic and Croatian prime minister Jadranka Kosor offering them stakes of 1%, 1.5% or 2% in the project to build two Russian-designed VVER-1000 pressurised water reactors at the site. Borisov told ministers that the involvement of the two countries would help to guarantee the market for the plant's future output. He said he was hoping to receive responses by 13 November, when Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin arrives in Sofia for high-level talks.

Located in: New Nuclear

15 November 2010

Russia has given Bulgaria its final price offer for the construction of the Belene nuclear power plant, which has been delayed by financing issues. Bulgaria will now consider whether to accept the price and move ahead with the project.

Located in: Other News

15 January 2008

[Focus, 15 January] Contracts for the completion of the Belene nuclear power plant are to be signed on 18 January, when Russian President Vladimir Putin visits Bulgaria, according to the country's economy and energy minister, Petar Dimitrov. The minister told a press conference in Sofia that the project would be worth about Eur4 billion ($6 billion) and would result in two of AtomStroyExport's VVER-1000 reactors.

Located in: Other News

03 October 2011

Russia's AtomStroyExport (ASE) and Bulgaria's National Electricity Company (NEK) have signed a supplement to their agreement on the construction of the Belene nuclear power plant, extending it until the end of March 2012. Under an earlier extension, the agreement - originally signed in 2006 - was extended until 30 September. According to ASE, the extension 'confirms the parties' interest in the continuation of the project.' NEK said that during the next six months, the two companies will continue their activities related to completing a market study, clarifying the financial model and studying the project finance proposal submitted by financial advisor HSBC. It added that the extra time will allow Bulgaria to conduct an analysis of the results and recommendations of stress tests being performed at nuclear power plants across the European Union. ASE said that work on the foundation pit for the first reactor at Belene has now been completed. It said that a concrete plant at the site has already been put into operation and that water treatment plants have been built. A geotechnical laboratory has also been constructed and equipped, while drilling work for site geological investigations have been carried out. ASE noted that at least 30% of equipment and services for the Belene plant would be sourced locally.

Located in: New Nuclear

19 August 2019

Five companies have expressed interest in Bulgaria's invitation for strategic investment in the construction of Belene nuclear power plant on the Danube River near the Romanian border. According to national newspaper 24 Chasa, China National Nuclear Corporation, Framatome, General Electric, Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power and Rosatom have all applied for the selection process.

Located in: Other News

12 January 2007

[NRA, 21 December] The Belene site has been approved for the construction of a new nuclear power plant by Bulgaria's Nuclear Regulatory Agency (NRA). The decision followed 16 months of review and assessment by the NRA of site selection documents submitted by the National Electricity Co (NEK).

Located in: Other News

21 December 2007

[Reuters, 20 December] Bulgaria's National Electricity Company (NEK) has asked strategic investors to submit improved offers by 9 January to acquire a 49% stake in the planned Belene nuclear power plant. Lyubomir Velkov, executive director of NEK, said that the five shortlisted bidders - Belgium's Electrabel, CEZ of the Czech Republic, EOn and RWE of Germany, and Italy's Enel - had been asked to improve their bids. He said, "Improvements are expected in the way the investors are seeing their role in the future management of the plant." He added, "The initial offers of some of them sound like they are going to have a majority stake." Velkov said he hoped that a strategic partner would be selected in the first half of 2008. Plans previously called for a partner to be chosen by the end of 2007.