Nuclear power in Europe

Sofia. It is impossible to buy uncertified nuclear fuel for Kozloduy NPP. I am certain about that, Ivan Grizanov, former MP and former chief of the Board of Directors of Kozloduy NPP, told FOCUS News Agency He was asked to comment on the protest staged by the Bulgarian nuclear physicist Georgi Kotev in Schuman square in Brussels.

“This is impossible. I think there have been enough explanations about the issue and nobody can do this. There is control and given technical fuel parameters. It is impossible to buy uncertified fuel. I am certain about that,” he said. (more…)

SOFIA June 30 (Reuters) – The capacity of a 1,000-megawatt reactor at Bulgaria’s nuclear plant Kozloduy dropped to 60 percent following the automatic shutdown of one of its pumps, the plant said in a statement late on Tuesday. (more…)

The European Commission decided to extend the period of financial support to Bulgaria for the decommissioning of units 1 to 4 of the Kozloduy nuclear power plant. On top of the EUR550 million already allocated, the Commission has pledged a sum of EUR300 million for the time period 2010-2013. (more…)

The threat of global warming has given a boost to the nuclear industry in many countries as one way to provide electricity without increasing carbon emissions. But what to do with the nuclear waste, especially the most toxic form – spent nuclear fuel. Nick Thorpe went to see how Bulgaria is coping.

Kiril Nikolov smiles a big, nuclear smile. (more…)

Bulgaria’s sole nuclear power plant at Kozloduy on the Danube River said on November 14 that it paid back early a $52.5 million loan to Russia’s state-owned Roseximbank, which it took to upgrade its two working 1000MW reactors.

The reason for the early repayment of the loan, due in 2021, was avoiding currency risks, the plant said, as quoted by website mediapool.bg. The loan was denominated in US dollars, while its revenue was in leva and euro, the plant operator said. (more…)

An expert mission of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has started in the Bulgarian NPP Kozloduy. The mission has been invited by the Agency for Nuclear Regulation and by the government following a request of the NPP, to assess the fulfillment of the program for upgrading of its Russian VVER 1000 reactors. The program has been implemented stage-by-stage during repair works in 2002 and 2007.

SOFIA, Sept 26 (Reuters) – Bulgaria’s nuclear regulator on Friday rejected accusations that nuclear power plant Kozloduy used dangerous recycled fuel, firing back against sustained criticism of the plant’s safety.
In July, a nuclear scientist and long-term Kozloduy employee, Georgi Kotev, accused the plant in his web blog and several media interviews of using second-hand fuel. (more…)

Sofia. Bulgaria has once again been tarnished before the face of Brussels, as reports over substituted nuclear fuel in NPP Kozloduy reached José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission. This is what representatives of the Committee for protection of nuclear physicist Georgi Kotev announced yesterday.
According to Georgi Kotev, fresh supplies of nuke fuel have been substituted for already used combustion material, thus securing a million dollar shady deal. (more…)

The Press Centre of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant has announced that on 23 August 2008 at 0122 [2222 gmt] the sixth reactor of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant was switched off for a planned annual overhaul.

The stoppage is in accordance with annual plan on the activity of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant’s reactors, which has been coordinated with the Central Control Administration -Sofia. Planned repair activities and a preventive maintenance of the equipment will be conducted and the reactor will be recharged with fresh fuel for the next operational season. (more…)

Bucharest. The comments on the low control over the transportation of Bulgarian nuclear fuel along the Danube River is among the headlines in the Romanian press today.

The Gandul daily notes that every year the Bulgarian ship Vasil Drumev and the boat Nautilus transport 60 tons of nuclear fuel from Kozloduy to the Ukrainian port of Ismail. The nuclear fuel used in Kozloduy is transported as waste to the Ukrainian port, from where the ship turns back loaded with fresh fuel.
According to the article the ‘tourist’ boats, used by the Romanian police to escort the cargo, often malfunction.