site.btaEnergy Minister Petkova at Hearing on Procedure for Selecting Strategic Investor for Belene N-Plant

111 POLITICS - PARLIAMENT - BELENE NPP

Energy Minister Petkova
at Hearing on Procedure for Selecting
Strategic Investor for Belene N-Plant


Sofia, December 7 (BTA) - During a parliamentary hearing on the procedure for the selection of a strategic investor in the Belene nuclear power plant on Friday, Energy Minister Temenouzhka Petkova said that the whole region will need Belene's power output and that it is advisable to try and carry out the project for construction of a new N-plant at Belene. Petkova said the project procedure will be fully developed and ready for launching at the beginning of 2019, and the investor will be selected at the end of 2019.

She noted that the nuclear risk remains for the country which has an N-plant in its territory which is why the government will participate the project both with the assets it already has and with a block quota through the National Electricity Company for the whole period of construction and operation of the future N-plant.

The procedure includes criteria for the participation of Bulgarian companies on every stage of selection, thus protecting Bulgarian businesses and providing new economic opportunities, especially in the northern region of Pleven where the N-plant is planned to be built.

Petkova said there is no risk of the investor starting to dictate prices of the energy market in Bulgaria or selling at dumping prices.

She recalled that the State Nuclear Power Technology Corporation, the Korean Hydro and Nuclear Company, and the French company Areva have already stated interest in the Belene N-plant project.