The Bulgarian caretaker Government has repealed the decision of the previous administration on the diversification of the supply of nuclear fuel for two reactors at Bulgaria’s sole nuclear power plant Kozloduy.
The previous Government’s decision banned the supply of nuclear fuel from Russia, which would be an obstacle for the potential participation of US company Westinghouse and French Framatome in projects related to the nuclear plant.
The statement from the caretaker Government said that the decision to repeal the previous decision provides an efficient competitive environment for existing alternative fuel producers for the VVER-1000 type reactors to participate in the process of diversifying the supply of fresh nuclear fuel for the NPP Kozloduy without compromising safety.
Bulgaria is currently supplied with nuclear fuel for the two Russian-made VVER-1000 reactors at NPP Kozloduy by Russian company TVEL. The Swedish division of Westinghouse and French Framatome are the only two non-Russian companies that produce nuclear fuel for VVER-1000 reactors.
Former Minister of Energy Alexander Nikolov said that this decision aims to keep Bulgaria under Russia’s influence in the field of energy.