Bulgaria To Pick Consultant for Belene N-Plant Project by End-August
Bulgaria will pick by the end of the month an advisor that will help find a strategic investor for the construction of the country's second nuclear power plant, Economy and Energy Minister Traicho Traikov said on Monday. The government in Sofia decided last year it would seek a consultant for the financial repackaging of the Belene nuclear power plant project following the pullout of one-time strategic investor RWE of Germany. RWE and Bulgarian power grid operator NEK, part of local energy conglomerate BEH, were teamed up in a 49/51 joint venture for the construction of the Belene power plant.
Economy Minister also announced that Bulgaria is definitely going to expand its nuclear energy capacity even if the construction of the Belene NPP fails.
He made clear the government's position that the construction of a seventh nuclear reactor at the existing Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant is "a much cheaper and much better option in many respects".
Traikov pointed out that the fate of the project for a second nuclear plant at Belene will be clear by the end of the second year of his term in office.