After a protection system was activated following a routine technical operation, in the early hours of 22 January, unit 5 of Bulgaria’s sole nuclear power plant Kozloduy was temporarily shut down.
The representatives of the plant’s operator are adamant that there were no accident. The protection system was activated during a routine operation. Following the shutdown, the inspection carries out continuous measurements on site, and no increased radiation has been detected.
Unit 5 was reconnected to the grid in the evening of 22 January.
Originally, NPP Kozloduy had six reactors, but four older 440 MW reactors were shut down in 2007 due to nuclear safety concern of the European Union. The plant currently operates two Soviet-built 1,000 MW reactors, unit 5 and unit 6 which were commissioned in 1987 and 1991 respectively. Earlier this week, the Government approved the project for the construction of unit 7 at NPP Kozloduy.