Atomstroyexport Raises Claim over Belene N-Plant Project to 1.0 Bln Euro
Russia's Atomstroyexport said it will seek no less than 1.0 billion euro ($1.28 billion) in compensations for Bulgaria's decision to abandon a project for the construction of a second nuclear power plant in the country.
The claim has been lodged with the International Court of Arbitration in Paris, the company said in a statement on Tuesday.
Energy minister Delyan Dobrev said he was not surprised by the claim but stated it runs contrary to an agreement in principle reached with Atomstroyexport and Rosatom, state-run Bulgarian National Radio reported later on Tuesday.
Atomstroyexport previously said it would seek 58 million euro in damages.
The Belene nuclear power station project had been mothballed for nearly two decades before Bulgaria decided to resurrect it, hiring Atomstroyexport in 2008 to build the 2,000 megawatt (MW) facility. After the project made scant headway, the government in Sofia decided in March to abandon it altogether, choosing instead to add a new 1,000 MW reactor to its existing nuclear power station in Kozloduy.