NPP Kozloduy, has signed an agreement for the purchase of part of the equipment intended for the NPP Belene project worth some 1.4 million euros with state-owned National Electricity Company (NEK).
The statement from the plant said that the equipment will ensure the successful implementation of the programs for extending the lifespan of NPP Kozloduy’s two operational1,000 MW units and the increase of their operational capacity to 104 %.The Government approved the signing of this contract in July 2019. The equipment includes filters, fans and other items. In June 2016, the Arbitration Court in Geneva has ruled that Bulgaria has to pay compensation to Russian company Atomstroyexport (ASE) over the cancelled project for the construction of nuclear power plant Belene. According to the ruling, Bulgaria was ordered to pay 550 million euros for the equipment which ASE produced for the plant, but the amount was raised to over 600 million euros. In December 2016, the debt to Atomstroyexport (601.6 million euros) over NPP Belene arbitration has been paid in full. The two reactors were shipped to Bulgaria in 2017.
Last month, Bulgarian Minister of Energy Temenuzhka Petkova said that the tender for the selection of investor for the project of Bulgaria’s second nuclear power plant Belene will likely be extended due to the corona virus outbreak. She stressed that all five companies, which previously announced their intention to submit binding offers, are still interested in the project. In December, Bulgaria announced the five shortlisted companies to enter the second, binding round of NPP Belene tender. Russian, South Korean and Chinese companies are bidding for the position of strategic investor in the project, Framatome expressed interest in supplying safety systems and financing this share of its participation, while General Electric wants to manufacture turbines and other equipment and will also self-finance this part of the project. The five were selected on the basis of their experience in building nuclear power plants, their financial stability and high credit rating.
