Bulgarian Energy Minister: Procedure to Select Strategic Investor for Belene NPP Should be Completed within a Year

Once launched, the procedure for the selection of a strategic investor for the Belene NPP project should be completed within a year, Minister of Energy Temenuzhka Petkova told the Parliament, quoted by Focus News Agency.

Investors willing to acquire a minority share or industrial consumers interested in power supply will also be given the opportunity to take part in the procedure, the minister explained. No changes will be allowed to the project design in terms of safety. Also, the plant will have to be built with the available equipment. The terms imply blocking quota for the state and participation of local companies in the construction. The construction is expected to cost less than BGN 9 billion, such an offer would be the highest-rated, the minister said. Companies from China, Korea and France, namely CNNC, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and Areva, have declared interest in Belene NPP, it remains to be seen if that interest will be confirmed as part of the procedure, she added.

"We consider this period to be realistic given that our project is at a very advanced stage in terms of the entire licensing process, and we have a site on which the necessary infrastructure is in place, and we believe there are prerequisites for this project to be realized in shorter terms of 10 years, "said Petkova, quoted by Focus.