site.btaDefence Minister and Party Leader Karakachanov: Project for Belene N-plant Not Lost or Futile Cause

Pleven, Northern Bulgaria, February 6 (BTA)- Approached by a BTA
 reporter here on Saturday, Defence Minister Krassimir
Karakachanov, who is also leader of the VMRO party - part of the
 power-sharing United Patriots coalition, said that for him, the
 scrapped project for a nuclear power plant in nearby Belene is
not a lost or futile cause.

Karakachanov argued that when energy projects are concerned and
when investments have been made, such as in the Kozloduy nuclear
 power plant and in the now mothballed project for a nuclear
plant in Belene, it is not expedient to take back the discussion
 to square one.

In late January, the government approved a report by Energy
Minister Temenouzhka Petkova on a feasibility study and other
steps taken so far to build a new nuclear power facility (i.e. a
 new nuclear reactor) on Site 2 of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power
Plant. Also in October 2020 the government mandated the Kozloduy
 N-Plant to open negotiations with US companies which have
developed cutting-edge nuclear power technologies. The aim was
to find a way to construct Reactor Unit 7 on Site 2 at Kozloduy,
 following the site's approval  by the Nuclear Regulatory Agency
 and an environmental impact assessment made for the project. A
working group was set up to study the matter whose report says
that the experts favour the construction of Reactor Unit 7 at
Kozloduy using available equipment from the Belene project.

On Saturday Karakachanov said that huge amounts of money have
been invested in the Belene project in the course of 30 years
now, and the question arises what should be done with it.

Karakachanov stressed that Bulgaria should build own
capabilities "in every respect" and emerge as "a more serious
factor".

He asked what necessitated the shutting of power units 1 to 4 of
 the Kozloduy N-plant. The generators were shut down on the eve
of 2007, when Bulgaria joined the EU.

The politician said that "Bulgaria's interests must be above
everything else".

Karakachanov further said that one thing is important for him as
 a politician: that Bulgaria cannot be deprived of its status of
 a country that generates nuclear energy, in the first place,
because this country has traditions in this, and second, because
 this provides energy independence. In his words, "it would be a
 crime for a country which used to export power on the entire
Balkan Peninsula, including to Turkey and Italy, to become an
importer of electricity in 10-15 years' time". NV/ZH