site.btaUPDATED Parliamentary Energy Committee Obliges Energy Ministry to Negotiate with Ukraine on Sale of Belene NPP Equipment

The parliamentary Energy Committee adopted with 15 votes in favour and 6 votes against a draft decision obliging Energy Minister Rumen Radev to start negotiations with Ukraine on the sale of Belene NPP equipment.

The draft decision obliges the energy minister to negotiate with his Ukrainian counterpart on the sale of the two Belene NPP reactors and the equipment for them, which are manufactured in Russia. According to the draft decision, the price is subject to negotiation, but cannot be lower than what Bulgaria paid for the equipment – nearly BGN 1.2 billion. An editorial amendment extended the initial 30-day deadline given to the minister to 60 days.

Earlier on Wednesday, Radev said that Bulgaria has not held talks with Ukraine on the topic yet. He explained that he talked with his counterparts from the line ministry in Ukraine about establishing relations in nuclear energy and exchanging technologies and knowledge.

“Ukraine has the experience to assist us with regard to the capacities built in Bulgaria,” Radev pointed out. He noted that topics related to natural gas were discussed during the meeting. "Eventually, things developed to the extent of preparing a memorandum between the two ministries, which has not been finalized," Radev added.

The Energy Minister did not want to comment on the draft decision on the sale of equipment from the Belene NPP to Ukraine. Radev stated that the equipment in question is fully adequate because it is well stored and maintained. “There are currently Russian specialists at the site to take care of the equipment.” According to him, Bulgaria has the opportunity to achieve the best possible price, which should be above what has been paid so far.

Ukraine is the only buyer of this equipment and Bulgaria is the only seller, said GERB-UDF MP Delyan Dobrev, who presented the proposal for the sale. “The minimum price we want is the one we paid,” he added. According to Dobrev, there is no way that a Russian project could be implemented in the European Union after the war. He added that the Khmelnitskyi NPP in Ukraine is 80% ready and they only needed the equipment that Bulgaria owns, with which the plant would be fully completed.