Bulgaria’s nuclear power plant Kozloduy has reconnected unit 6 to the national electricity network following a short outage earlier this week. The 1,000 MW unit had been temporarily taken offline to address issues involving protective equipment in the turbine system’s non-nuclear section. After the replacement of the affected components, engineers performed a series of safety checks on the newly installed protective membranes within the turbine’s steam separator system. The plant operator confirmed that the equipment functions properly, allowing the unit to resume electricity production.
The reactor had experienced several interruptions in recent months due to similar technical concerns. Unit 6 was previously shut down on 15 and 21 December, and again earlier this year in February because of problems related to the same protective membrane devices.
The repeated outages have affected electricity generation. Preliminary estimates from the Bulgarian Energy Ministry suggest that roughly 200,000 MWh of electricity were not produced during the extended periods when the unit was offline, with the financial impact reaching tens of millions of euros. According to the Ministry, the technical complications were partly linked to difficulties in obtaining original components manufactured in Russia. After multiple unsuccessful procurement attempts, the plant installed alternative parts instead.
Officials say the situation underscores the broader risks associated with technological dependence on limited suppliers. Caretaker Energy Minister Traycho Traykov emphasized that the episode highlights the importance of diversifying supply chains and identifying reliable alternatives for critical equipment. The Ministry added that the reactor is currently ramping up operations and is expected to return to its full 1,000 MW output within the next two weeks.
