* University of Sofia

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November 11, 2011

Unknown source: continuing I-131 release detected around Europe

Very low levels of radiation, which are higher than normal but don't seem to pose a health hazard, are being registered in the Czech Republic and elsewhere in Europe, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Friday. The agency said the cause was not known but was not the result of Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, which spread radiation across the globe in March... An official familiar with the matter, who asked for anonymity because he was not authorized to comment, said the release appeared to be continuing. The agency said that it was investigating.

In Bulgaria, nuclear watchdog chief Sergey Tsochev said no traces of iodine-131 had been detected. "Air samples remain normal," he said.

Sources: Agence France Presse, "Radioactivity in Europe, no public risk: IAEA", November 12, 2011; and Associated Press, "Nuclear agency reports low, but unusual, radiation across Europe", November 11, 2011

August 18, 2009

Bulgaria - Belene nuclear plant construction is about a year behind schedule

Russia's AtomStroyExport has an EU4-billion contract to construct a pair of 1,000-MW nuclear plants at Belene. Bulgaria's state-owned NEC will own 51% of the project. Germany's RWE owns the other 49%. The initial plan called for the first 1,000-MW unit to be operational by the end of 2014, with the other coming on line a year later. Te project is already some 12 months behind the schedule, and finance minister and deputy PM Simeon Dyankov and energy minister Traycho Traykov have stated a number of times that the state should withdraw from participation.

Source: Bulgaria Today, "Atomtehenergo to build nuclear training centre in Belene", August 18, 2009

January 22, 2008

*
'South Stream' Impedes the Opening of NPP 'Kozloduy' Blocks 3&4
Olga Yoncheva, international.news.bg (Bulgaria)

The former director of Bulgaria's Kozloduy nuclear plant says of his nation that "Our energy mafia is directed by Moscow." Referring to natural gas pipleline project known as the "South Stream", Filipov said "My worry is that after we so actively worked on 'South Stream', we will have serious problems with the reopening of block 3 and 4" at Kozloduy. In an interview for BTV Filipov supported the campaign for the reopening of the blocks "I want light" but explained that he had serious doubt that this could happen. According to him the blocks in the nuclear power plant are completely safe but in the last six months Bulgaria hasn't worked for its interests but for those of Russia. That is why, the EU countries will create serious obstacles to the reopening of the blocks. "We didn't work as a member of the EU, but as a vassal of Russia", Filipov said.

October 25, 2006

* Bulgaria's Communists Back Nationalist Runner for President
Sofia News Agency (Bulgaria)

... Parvanov, 49, former leader of the ex-Communist Socialists, is also chastised for not holding a referendum on Kozloduy nuclear plant shut-down and destroying ...

* [2006-05-10] Bulgarian nuclear accident questioned
UPI

* [2006-05-08] Bulgarian Nuke Accident Rated 2 at INES
Sofia News Agency

* [2006-05-05] Bulgaria's Energy Minister Meets Nuke Plant Management
Sofia News Agency (Bulgaria)

Bulgaria's Economy and Energy Minister Rumen Ovcharov will meet the management of the country's only nuclear power plant in Kozloduy. ...

* [2006-05-05] Bulgaria's Energy Minister Meets Nuke Plant Management
Sofia News Agency (Bulgaria)

Bulgaria's Economy and Energy Minister Rumen Ovcharov will meet the management of the country's only nuclear power plant in Kozloduy. ...

* [2006-04-28] Bulgaria's Nuclear Sector Poses Threats and Opportunities
Sofia Echo

* [2006-04-24] IAEA Silent on Bulgaria Nuke Fault
Sofia News Agency

* [2006-04-18] Closure of Bulgaria's NPP may Lead to Balkan Energy Instability
Sofia Echo

* [2006-04-17] British nuclear group interested in Bulgaria's energy sector
Sofia Echo

* [2006-04-12] NATO not to deploy nuclear weapons in Bulgaria: official
Xinhua News

* [2006-04-11] NPP Closure Results in Financial Loss for Bulgaria
Sofia Echo

* [2006-04-05] British Nuclear Group Eyes Bulgaria's Energy Sector
Sofia News Agency

* [2006-03-06] Ex Chief of Bulgaria's Nuke Violated Public Procurement Law
Sofia News Agency

* 2005-03-25: Europe Heals Old Divide Between Bulgaria and Romania
Albena Shkodrova and Marian Chiriac, ENS

* 2005-03-23: Closing Bulgaria's nuclear reactors would be 'crazy', say Euro deputies
Agence France Presse/Yahoo! News

* 2005-03-22: Bulgaria to Lose EUR 4 B from Kozloduy Nuke Closure
Sofia News Agency

* 2005-03-17: Euro MPs to Visit Bulgarian Nuclear Plant
Bulgarian News Network

* 2005-03-16: EU report backs new Bulgarian reactor
Nuclear Engineering

* 2005-03-16: Bulgaria's Govt to Retain 51% Stake in New Nuclear Plant Project: Official
Bulgarian News Network

* 2005-03-16: Bulgarian Nuke Gets EU Greenlight - Report
Sofia News Agency

* 2005-03-12: IMF Keen on Bulgaria's Belene Nuke Progress
Sofia News Agency

* 2005-03-04: IAEA Chief Voices Support for Bulgarian Nuclear Plant Project
Bulgarian News Network

July 4, 2004

*
Bulgaria Sheds Light on New Nuclear Power Plant Project
Southeast European Times

Bulgarian Energy Minister Milko Kovachev announced that his nation will select a contractor and a financial advisor for the construction of a nuclear power plant at Belene, and that a new public-private nuclear company would be set up in early 2005, emulating an approach used in Finland. In addition to the proposed plant, the new company will operate the two 1,000-MW units at Kozloduy. The government has previously pledged that the other two still-operating units at Kozloduy will be closed before Bulgaria joins the European Union in January 2007. The new unit at Belene is projected to produce electricity at a price in the range of 3 to 4 euro cents per kilowatt hour. The project is expected to cost 1.6-billion euros, and the financing is expected to require loans from Euratom or the selected vendors of up to 350-million euros. The government plans to retain 51-80% ownership, and to provide loan guarantees for 50% of the cost.

May 20, 2004

Russia wants to provide fuel for Bulgaria's planned Belene plant

The state-owned company Atomstroiexport is likely to be part of the bidding on a proposed nucear plant in Belene, Bulgaria. Alexander Rumyantsev, the head of Russia's Federal Atomic Energy Agency, told reporters that negotiations are currently underway with Framatome ANP, which is expected to bid on actual construction.

Source: Prime-Tass, "Russia to bid for nuclear power plant construction in Bulgaria", Prime-Tass English-language Business Newswire, May 20, 2004

January 19, 2004

Bulgaria - 2 new n-plants planned for 2010-2018

Bulgaria plans to build 2,000 MW of new nuclear electricity generating capacity between 2010 and 2018, energy minister Milko Kovachev said. Part will be a 700 - 1000 MW unit at Belene. It's not been decided whether to build the two projected plants simultaneously or one after the other. Preliminary work before a proposal is submitted to the council of ministers for approval has already been contracted. This work involves an environmental impact assessment, and a technical and economic analysis.

[Ref: Svetoslava Bancheva, "Belene NPP consulting awarded in breach of Public Procurement Act", Pari Daily, January 19, 2004]

January 15, 2004

Bulgaria meets with reactor vendors re Belene-2

Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha today met with the presidents and vice presidents of Atomic Energy of Canada, Ansaldo Nuclear, Hitachi Corporation end Itochu Corporation, which are interested in the construction of a second nuclear plant at Belene in northern Bulgaria. In December 2002, the Bulgarian government decided to re-launch the project which had been shelved back in 1991.

[Ref: BTA web site, Sofia, "Bulgarian premier, major foreign companies discuss n-plant construction", January 15, 2004]

August 13, 2003

Bulgaria wants n-reprieve from EU

The government may seek a reopening of the energy chapter of its European Union (EU) accession agreement, depending on the results of a peer review of the Kozloduy-3 and -4 nuclear power reactors to be conducted in November. Bulgaria has agreed to close the two units by 2006, but a series of safety modifications and upgrades followed by favourable international inspections has led the government to press for a reprieve. See WNA information paper on 'Early Soviet Reactors and EU Accession'. (SpentFUEL, 11 August, p4; see also News Briefing 03.29-12)

[Source: World Nuclear Association, WNA News Briefing NB03.32-7, August 12, 2003]

May 19, 2003

Bulgaria to ship 20 tons of spent fuel to Russia

The Mayak reprocessing plant is the destination for a planned rail shipment of spent fuel from Kozloduy plant. None of the fuel will be reprocessed for three years yet. Much of it is not expected to be reprocessed at all, but is slated for long term storage. [Source: Bellona, Bulgaria to ship 20 tons spent nuclear fuel to Mayak plant, May 19, 2003]

* 2000 - In preparing the UNSCEAR 2000 report on "Sources and Effects of Ionizing Radiation", the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation sent every member nation a Survey of Exposures, asking expert quantification of the radiation exposures to populations in that nation from natural radiation sources. The respondent for Bulgaria was G. Vassilev (National Centre of Radiobiology and Radiation Protection, Sofia).

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