Bulgarian Govt Approves Process for Selecting Investor in Belene NPP Project

Bulgaria's government said on Wednesday that it has approved the energy ministry's draft procedure for selecting a strategic investor in the project for construction of Belene nuclear power plant (NPP). The procedure envisages inviting expessions of interest in the project, to be followed by applications from interested parties, submission of binding offers and negotiations, the government said in a statement following its weekly meeting. The project has to be carried out on a market basis and without Bulgarian state guarantees, the government noted. The reactors and other equipment for the plant, which have already been manufactured and are owned by the Bulgarian state, can become assets of the project company before, during or after the negotiations with potential strategic investors. Energy minister Temenuzhka Petkova was tasked by the government to present the procedure before parliament.

In June, the energy ministry said it has received an official letter from French energy group Areva, in which the company says it is interested in participating in the Belene NPP project. China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) and Russia's Rosatom have also expressed interest in participating in the project.