site.btaSuppliers from Russia Not Extremely Reliable, Energy Minister Says during Inspection at Kozloduy NPP

Suppliers from Russia are not extremely reliable in terms of reaction, caretaker Energy Minister Traicho Traikov said Thursday regarding the frequent shutdowns of unit 6 of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant due to membrane defects.

"What I understand from the plant's management is that suppliers from Russia are not extremely reliable in terms of attitude, reaction and quality, but I believe that the first choice should always be the supply of original parts and the necessary administrative steps must be taken, even if they sometimes take time," Traikov noted. Many defects also occur in the country of the original equipment manufacturer, including for this part, the minister stated, adding that the losses that are realized when unit 6 of the NPP is shut down amount to tens of millions of euros.

Traikov pointed out that after the need arose to replace this membrane, the Kozloduy NPP conducted a procedure for the supply of original parts, recalling that for yet unknown reasons this procedure was terminated in 2023. In 2024, a new procedure was started after a derogation was granted by the Council of Ministers. The derogation, however, was delayed until May 2025, when it was too late for the order to be fulfilled by the supplier.

The management of the nuclear power plant assured Traikov that once the problem is fixed, the unit will be able to start operating at full capacity within 10 to 14 days. The minister emphasized that this will be the real test of whether the work has been done well. He added that the management has provided him with a list of all the derogations that need to be granted by the Council of Ministers in order to ensure trouble-free operation.