site.btaEnergy Ministry: Cooperation between Bulgaria and USA Guarantees Energy Security in Region

Caretaker Minister of Energy Vladimir Malinov and US Ambassador Kenneth Merten agreed that the excellent cooperation between Bulgaria and the US is a guarantee for the energy security in the region, Malinov's Ministry reported on Tuesday.

Malinov and Merten stressed the key importance of the first quantities of fresh fuel produced by the US company Westinghouse already delivered to Kozloduy NPP. The Minister said that the joint efforts of both sides yielded excellent results in reducing Bulgaria's dependence on a single supplier and achieving diversification in the long term for the Bulgarian nuclear power plant.

The progress on the construction of Kozloduy NPP units 7 and 8 was also on the agenda. 

Malinov said that upgrading the existing infrastructure and regional interconnections, as well as the commissioning of the Alexandroupolis LNG terminal, are key to achieving the objectives of the European single energy market. The implementation of a Vertical Corridor to transport additional quantities of gas from south to north through the gas transmission networks of Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, Ukraine and Moldova will contribute to ensuring energy security in the wider region. He said that the region will continue to rely on LNG supplies from US companies.

The talks also focused on bilateral cooperation in the field of small modular reactors and baseload power solutions to ensure the security of Bulgaria's and the region's electricity system.