Bulgaria: Renewed NPP Belene project needs EC approval

Bulgaria will have to seek European Commission approval for its nuclear power plant Belene -the European Commission spokesperson Tim McPhie confirmed that a new notification on the part of Bulgaria is needed if the country wants to resume the construction of its second nuclear power plant Belene.

The motives are the changes to the project, the development of safety standards and the amendment of the legal framework of the Euratom treaty which has changed considerably and has been enhanced since 2007 when the Commission issued a favorable opinion for the construction of the nuclear power plant.

Last December, Bulgaria announced the five shortlisted companies to enter the second, binding round of NPP Belene tender. She specified that the 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.

Russian state-owned nuclear energy company Rosatom announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with French Framatom and US General Electric Steam Power to submit a joint bit at the tender for the construction of NPP Belene.

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