site.btaEnergy Minister Petkova Confers with Head of EBRD's Nuclear Safety Department Novak

Energy Minister Petkova Confers with Head of EBRD's Nuclear Safety Department Novak


Sofia, December 8 (BTA) - Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova
conferred on Monday with the Director of the Nuclear Safety
Department with the European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (EBRD), Vince Novak, and with the Bank's Director
for Bulgaria, Daniel Berg, said Petkova's Ministry in a press
release.

Projects implemented as part of the Kozloduy International
Decommissioning Support Fund (KIDSF) and particularly the one
for energy efficiency, were assessed as especially successful by
the two sides. One euro invested by KIDSF in the energy
efficiency project attracts three to four euro in the economy,
Novak said. The European Court of Auditors will conduct an audit
of the projects financed by KIDSF, it emerged from the meeting.


The EBRD guests have familiarized Minister Petkova with the
progress of projects for constructing a system for plasma
burning and dry cask storage of spent nuclear fuel. The first
project will require funds from the Radioactive Waste Fund for
ensuring national co-financing, Novak noted. Minister Petkova
informed the bank's representatives that some four million leva
from the national budget have already been provided for the
plasma burning system.

There is a risk the EC could ask for the return of the 12
million euro, spent on increasing the capacity of the facility
for dry cask storage of spent nuclear fuel, if the need for
increasing this capacity is not founded. The Minister assured
Novak and Berg that the issue will be resolved in the upcoming
months.

The three also discussed the natural gas interconnector with
Greece. Petkova told Novak and Berg that Bulgaria's energy
independence is a main priority for the Government, explaining
that building interconnectors with neighbouring countries are
key projects.

KIDSF was established with EBRD in June 2001 after the European
Commission and other western European donors offered the
Bulgarian government an assistance programme to cope with the
early closure of the plant and the development of a competitive
energy sector.