site.btaVazrazhdane Demands Resignations of Kozloduy NPP Leadership after Early Shutdown of Unit 6

Vazrazhdane wants resignations at Kozloduy NPP after the second emergency shutdown of Unit 6, said Vazrazhdane MP Yordan Todorov quoted by the party's press service on Sunday. Unit 6 of Kozloduy NPP is getting shut down on Sunday morning, one day earlier than the previously announced date, the power plant announced late on Saturday. The reason for the early shutdown is an additional defect found during preparations for the shutdown originally planned for December 22.

Todorov noted that the unit was shut down for emergency repairs for the second time in two weeks and less than a month after the completion of the annual scheduled repairs. He stated that such a series of emergency shutdowns immediately after scheduled repairs is unprecedented for the largest and most profitable state-owned energy company. In both cases, the cause was the same—a defect in a protective membrane, which is a key element for the safe operation of the turbine.

Todorov said that the membrane is a safety component that must react in a strictly defined manner under load. He added that, according to the available information, the membrane was during the last repair with an alternative version made of a different type of steel than what was used in the original design.

Particularly worrying, according to the MP, is the fact that on December 8, 2025, a technical decision was approved to implement the so-called alternative membranes, just a few days before the first case of a defect was established. This raises the question of whether the membrane was replaced with an alternative one during the annual maintenance. If the documentation was drawn up after installation, this means that the nuclear power plant is being operated in conditions of gross violations of the rules and good practices, Todorov said.

He stated that there was a lack of timely and clear official communications about the condition of the unit, the measures taken, and the actual risks, which led to tension among the residents of Kozloduy, who spent the past night in uncertainty and fear.

Considering the circumstances, Vazrazhdane insists on the immediate resignation of the CEO of Kozloduy NPP, Ivan Andreev, and his deputy, Andrey Krasnocharov.