site.btaGovernment Working on Expanding Bulgarian Nuclear Energy's Portfolio with New Modern Tech - Energy Minister in Canada

The Bulgarian Government is actively working to expand the portfolio of Bulgarian nuclear energy with new modern technologies and to build on the country's more than 50 years of experience in the operation of nuclear power plants. Small modular reactor projects are among the most advanced technologies in the development of the sector, Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov said at a meeting with Ontario's Minister of Energy and Mines Stephen Lecce. The two discussed deepening energy cooperation between the countries, with a focus on the application of small modular reactor technologies, the Energy Ministry reported Friday. 

A Bulgarian delegation led by Minister Stankov is visiting Ontario, where Ontario Power Generation is building the first of four planned BWRX-300 small modular reactors at the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station. This reactor is scheduled to be completed by the end of this decade, and all four by the middle of the next. 

In Stankov's words, the introduction of this state-of-the-art technology is an opportunity for Bulgaria to establish its leading role in the production of emission-free, clean, and affordable energy for the entire region of Southeast Europe. According to him, Bulgaria's traditions in the sector are an excellent basis for its future modern development. 

Earlier this week, Minister Stankov attended a meeting between Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov and Roger Martella, Chief Sustainability Officer of General Electric Vernova, in New York City on the sidelines of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly. The Bulgarian side confirmed its interest in developing this new technology, which can ensure long-term stability, predictability, and affordable prices for the electricity produced, according to the Ministry of Energy.

As an important step in its targeted efforts to research and develop this technology in the country, Minister Stankov and his US counterpart, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, signed a joint statement confirming the objectives of the intergovernmental agreement between the two countries to strengthen civil nuclear cooperation. The document provides for Bulgaria to benefit from the expertise of US laboratories in a pre-project study to assess the suitability of potential sites for the accelerated deployment of small modular reactors, the Ministry of Energy added.