site.btaContract on Extension of Term of Operation of Kozloduy N-plant Signed

Contract on Extension of Term of Operation of Kozloduy N-plant Signed

Sofia, January 28 (BTA) - A contract on the extension of the term of operation of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant by up to 60 years was signed by the Bulgarian side (Kozloduy N-plant) and the Russian side (Rusatom Service and Risk Engineering) within the Bulgarian-Russian Intergovernmental Commission for Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation. According to the contract signed, analyses, estimates and quantitative assessment of the residual resource of the structures, systems and components of the unit will be carried out.

The contract is related to one of the main priorities of the Bulgarian government in the energy sector: extension of the service life of units 5 and 6, Energy Minister Temenouzhka Petkova said. The process is related to certain timeframes and, therefore, cooperation with our Russian partners is very important, she added. Analysis and justification of each of the processes, related to the extension of the service life of unit 6 with up to 60 years will be made, Petkova continued. This is a complex technological process, which will be carried out by a consortium uniting two very serious companies, she also said.

The service life of Kozloduy's unit six should expire in 30 months, said Rusatom Service Director General Evgeny Salkov. He noted that Risk Engineering is a reliable partner, with which the Russian company maintains highly professional relations. The deadline for the completion of its audit expires by the end of this year but part of the documentation will be ready earlier.Once the analyses are submitted to the Nuclear Regulatory Agency, the regulator should pronounce itself in nine months.

The service life of unit five expires in November 2017.

The maximum term for which the regulator may extend the licence for operation is 10 years. Rusatom Service said they will prepare justification for operation of up to 30 years.