Representatives of Russia’s Rosatom atomic energy corporation were in Sofia a few days ago for talks on the delivery of equipment, manufactured for the second Bulgarian nuclear power plant at Belene, a project abandoned in 2102. The talks were preceded by an inquiry by left-wing MPs to Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova where the reactors for the Belene NPP are, reactors Bulgaria has already paid Russia 1.2 billion Leva for. Some media outlets started commenting that the “mystery” of the delivery of the two reactors for Belene is into its second year.

The Rosatom delegation was received at an awe-inspiring political level, by Prime Minister Boyko Borissov himself, an indication that clarifying the commercial and technical aspects aside, what the government was after was dispelling possible political speculation surrounding the nuclear project. Yet the high level the talks were elevated to is a sign of some kind of political change in the fate of Belene. Right before the start of the talks, PM Borissov himself commented that no effort will be spared to make full use of the 3 billion Leva spent on the project to date. Interest in it was recently displayed by a major Chinese investor - China General Nuclear Corporation – CGN which, according to Energy Minister Petkova, is already conducting its own analyses and studies. This week’s negotiations with Rosatom made it known that Bulgaria no longer ruled out any option and might even invite the Russian state concern as investor. It was Rosatom that, seven years ago, offered to invest in the project, though no talks have been held and, at least until June this year, the Russian corporation was interested only in the capacity of builder.

That positions on the Belene NPP project have changed is also evident in the words of Minister Temenuzhka Petkova that there will be a clear concept on what is to be done with the equipment manufactured for the Belene NPP by the year’s end. Petkova declined any details, saying that there has not been any conclusive discussion, as yet, of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences report on the country’s need of more nuclear capacities. The report in question includes a forecast that by the year 2035, there will be a shortage of new capacities not just in Bulgaria, but across the entire region, something that contradicts the idea that Bulgaria does not need a second nuclear power plant. Bulgaria’s energy minister also announced that the possibility of drafting a procedure for the privatization of the project by the end of 2017 or the beginning of 2018 was very realistic. The conditions for its revival the government sets down are that this should be done without state guarantees, state financing or a purchase contract with the investor for the electric power generated by the new capacity. Whether any strategic investor will agree to such conditions is something we are yet to find out, yet one thing is clear – the efforts to resuscitate the project continue.

English version: Milena Daynova