site.btaBulgaria Should Have Four Operating Nuclear Reactors by 2052, Says BULATOM Chair

By 2052, Bulgaria should have four operating nuclear reactors, said Bulgarian Atomic Forum (BULATOM) chair Bogomil Manchev at the organization’s international conference near Varna on Wednesday.

Manchev argued that rising global electricity demand, particularly from data centres, makes nuclear energy essential and stressed the need to complete the roadmap for Units 7 and 8 at Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant, as Units 5 and 6 are expected to retire in 2047 and 2051.  He also proposed developing two additional reactors, noting that the Belene site already meets modern requirements for a nuclear plant.

While supporting renewable energy, Manchev called for a balanced energy mix to avoid grid instability and power outages. He also stated that Bulgaria should decide which thermal power plants to retain as strategic reserve capacity. According to Manchev, industry is increasingly interested in small modular reactors, though businesses must first assess their economic viability. He added that licensed sites for nuclear facilities are rare in densely populated Europe, making Bulgaria’s available site a major advantage.