Belene Nuclear Power Plant

A protest against the restart of the Belene Nuclear Power Plant is being held before the National Assembly, BNR reports. The demonstration is organized by the newly formed right-wing Democratic Bulgaria formation, and the occasion is the scheduled for this week consideration of the proposal to abolish the moratorium on the construction of Belene NPP.

Four companies have deposited written notes expressing their interest in participating in a bid to construct the Belene Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) as parliament is expected to vote by the end of this week to lift the moratorium on its construction, Vice-Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev said on Sunday.

After President Rumen Radev paved the way towards improved Bulgarian-Russian relations last week, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov will follow up by visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 30.

By the end of June, the Bulgarian Ministry of Energy must provide Russia with the various options for using the Belene NPP equipment. This is written in a summary of the talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Bulgarian counterpart Rumen Radev in Sochi, according to Russian state news agency TASS, quoted by Actualno.com.

The Cabinet decided to lift the moratorium on the Belene NPP project and submit it for vote to the National Assembly, bTV reported.
Prime Minister Boyko Borisov announced today that the project will be brought back. The reason is that last week, representatives of China's National Nuclear Corporation announced they were interested in building Belene.

"Bulgaria should seek the opportunity about realization on a market principle and without a state guarantee of the Belene NPP. To start this process, a parliamentary mandate will be needed. " This was stated by the Minister of Energy Temenujka Petkova at the Atomexpo 2018 Forum in Sochi.

Since mid-February, there has been serious interest in the Belene NPP project from China's largest state-owned nuclear power company. This is what Energy Minister Temenujka Petkova said during today's parliamentary oversight, BNT reported.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov have discussed in a telephone conversation the energy projects on the territory of our country.

''I would call a Consultative Council on National Security on the general subject of energy, Belene NPP and CEZ are particular cases'', President Rumen Radev told reporters regarding the deal for the sale of CEZ's business in Bulgaria, FOCUS News Agency reports.

Prime Minister Boyko Borisov announced a proposal for the construction of Belene NPP as a common Balkan project with European funding.