site.btaBulgaria's Energy Minister, International Energy Agency Executive Director Agree on Signing Memorandum of Cooperation by End-2024

Meeting here on Thursday, Bulgaria’s caretaker Energy Minister Vladimir Malinov and International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol agreed that a Memorandum of Cooperation between the Ministry and the IEA should be signed by the end of 2024 as a way to strengthen cooperation in key areas of mutual interest. The two met at the sidelines of a conference on nuclear security and safety in Ukraine.

Bulgaria is set to officially join the IEA once it becomes a member of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.

"Europe is facing a number of challenges as it prepares for the upcoming winter season. A unified approach is crucial to ensuring energy security," caretaker Energy Minister Malinov said.

Malinov and Birol agreed that Europe's winter preparations should take account of its oil, natural gas, and electricity needs, especially in light of Ukraine's anticipated energy shortfall. 

The Bulgarian caretaker minister also conferred with the US Assistant Secretary of Energy for International Affairs, Andrew Light. They agreed that the extension of the Intergovernmental Agreement for cooperation on a project for the construction of new nuclear capacity at the Kozloduy NPP site and on Bulgaria's civil nuclear programme will open new opportunities for bilateral relations. Malinov and Light discussed the progress on the project for the construction of Units 7 and 8 of Kozloduy NPP. The two expressed their commitment to finalizing an engineering contract between Kozloduy NPP - New Capacities EAD and a consortium between Westinghouse Electric Company and Hyundai Engineering and Construction by October 30, 2024.

During the meeting, Bulgaria's progress in exploring the feasibility of small modular reactors as complementary energy sources, which will enhance the flexibility of the system, was also highlighted. Malinov said that this process will rely on Bulgaria's strong cooperation with the United States Trade and Development Agency. Other key topics included deepening cooperation between Bulgaria and the US on diversifying fresh and spent nuclear fuel, oil, and renewable energy storage.

While in Paris, Malinov also met with his Ukrainian counterpart, German Galushchenko. They discussed critical issues for Ukraine's energy security this winter, including increasing the input capacity to Ukraine’s electricity grid from 1.7 to 2.5 gigawatts, and Bulgaria’s potential to provide electricity to support the Ukrainian people during the winter.