site.btaUS-Bulgarian Forum Discusses Bulgarian Nuclear Power Industry

Caretaker Deputy Minister of Energy Georgi Samandov, who spoke at the US-Bulgarian Foundational Infrastructure for Responsible Use of Small Modular Reactor Technology (FIRST) workshop here, said that the development and integration of small modular reactors is key to making the green transition a reality and ensuring the physical and financial security of the power system, the Ministry of Energy press service reported on Tuesday. At the opening of the forum, Samandov presented the importance and the leading directions in the development of the Bulgarian nuclear power industry. 

The nuclear power industry is an essential in the formation of the national energy mix and has an important role to play in the decarbonization of the sector in the context of the EU Green Deal, the REPowerEU plan and the policy to produce reliable energy at affordable and predictable prices for consumers. Nuclear power accounts for about 40% of the country's gross electricity generation, Samandov said.

Among the main priorities of the Bulgarian nuclear programme, he outlined the upcoming construction of the 7th and 8th units of Kozloduy NPP using AP1000 technology, the maximum extension of the lifetime of its 5th and 6th units, the construction of a national radioactive waste repository, which is about to be finalized.

The forum discussed the future development of nuclear energy. The place of small modular reactors emerged among the technological options as a complementary technology to the existing large ones.