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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--Bulgaria and Poland have separately advanced their stop-start nuclear ambitions.
Bulgaria's government has officially invited potential investors to register their expressions of interest in the long-mooted Belene nuclear power project. The project has a long and troubled history and was abandoned in 2012 by the then government, which claimed it was too expensive. At the time it had already spent up to $950 million on it at the time of cancellation. Bulgaria's citizens have previously voted in favour of building a new nuclear power plant at Belene in a national referendum. For additional information, see January 30, 2013, article - Bulgaria votes 'Yes' for New Nuclear Plant.
The government's notice in the Official Journal of the European Union outlined that it won't provide state or corporate funding guarantees. It also will not guarantee long-term electricity purchase deals at favourable prices. The project is expected to cost roughly 10 billion euro ($11.2 billion).
"Natsionalna Elektricheska Kompania EAD (NEK) announces this call for participation in a procedure to select a strategic investor for the construction of the Belene nuclear power plant, as well as a call for expressions of interest in acquiring a minority shareholding in the future project company which will be set up to build, own and operate the Belene nuclear power plant in Bulgaria on a market basis and/or expressions of interest in the purchase of electricity from the future power plant."
The goal will be to construct a 2,000-megawatt (MW) nuclear power plant at Belene in northern Bulgaria. Belene NPP will be owned by a newly created project company in which NEK will be a shareholder. The Belene site, located 4 kilometres (km) from the town of Belene, will see the construction of two 1,000-MW units, each using third-generation A-92 pressurised-water reactors, specifically VVER-1000/V-466 models from Russian company Atomstroyexport.
According to NEK: "The selected design for Belene NPP ensures more efficient use of nuclear fuel than the second-generation light-water reactors. This allows generation of 20% more electricity using 25% less fuel. At the same time, the high burn-up achieved reduces the annual amount of spent nuclear fuel by 50%."
About 40% of Bulgaria's power comes the 49-year old Kozloduy nuclear plant located near the Romanian border, which has a generating capacity of 2,000 MW. Industrial Info is tracking two life-extension projects at the remaining Kozloduy operating units, 5 and 6.
In Poland, the country's Energy Minister Krzysztof Tchórzewski took to the radio waves recently to promise that it will build its proposed first nuclear plant by 2033. "A nuclear power plant is a more expensive power plant under construction, especially when it comes to security, but it is much cheaper to operate," Tchórzewski told Polish radio. The plant is proposed for the Pomerania region in the north of the country, but site selection will be finalised next year and construction partners and reactor technology selected in 2021. The government's draft energy policy document published last year calls for a total of 6.9 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear capacity commissioned by 2043. This equates to 10% of the nation's power demand, which is overwhelmingly based on coal-fired power today.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, six offices in North America and 12 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Our European headquarters are located in Galway, Ireland. Follow IIR Europe on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn For more information on our European coverage send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.eu or visit us online at Industrial Info Europe.
Bulgaria's government has officially invited potential investors to register their expressions of interest in the long-mooted Belene nuclear power project. The project has a long and troubled history and was abandoned in 2012 by the then government, which claimed it was too expensive. At the time it had already spent up to $950 million on it at the time of cancellation. Bulgaria's citizens have previously voted in favour of building a new nuclear power plant at Belene in a national referendum. For additional information, see January 30, 2013, article - Bulgaria votes 'Yes' for New Nuclear Plant.
The government's notice in the Official Journal of the European Union outlined that it won't provide state or corporate funding guarantees. It also will not guarantee long-term electricity purchase deals at favourable prices. The project is expected to cost roughly 10 billion euro ($11.2 billion).
"Natsionalna Elektricheska Kompania EAD (NEK) announces this call for participation in a procedure to select a strategic investor for the construction of the Belene nuclear power plant, as well as a call for expressions of interest in acquiring a minority shareholding in the future project company which will be set up to build, own and operate the Belene nuclear power plant in Bulgaria on a market basis and/or expressions of interest in the purchase of electricity from the future power plant."
The goal will be to construct a 2,000-megawatt (MW) nuclear power plant at Belene in northern Bulgaria. Belene NPP will be owned by a newly created project company in which NEK will be a shareholder. The Belene site, located 4 kilometres (km) from the town of Belene, will see the construction of two 1,000-MW units, each using third-generation A-92 pressurised-water reactors, specifically VVER-1000/V-466 models from Russian company Atomstroyexport.
According to NEK: "The selected design for Belene NPP ensures more efficient use of nuclear fuel than the second-generation light-water reactors. This allows generation of 20% more electricity using 25% less fuel. At the same time, the high burn-up achieved reduces the annual amount of spent nuclear fuel by 50%."
About 40% of Bulgaria's power comes the 49-year old Kozloduy nuclear plant located near the Romanian border, which has a generating capacity of 2,000 MW. Industrial Info is tracking two life-extension projects at the remaining Kozloduy operating units, 5 and 6.
In Poland, the country's Energy Minister Krzysztof Tchórzewski took to the radio waves recently to promise that it will build its proposed first nuclear plant by 2033. "A nuclear power plant is a more expensive power plant under construction, especially when it comes to security, but it is much cheaper to operate," Tchórzewski told Polish radio. The plant is proposed for the Pomerania region in the north of the country, but site selection will be finalised next year and construction partners and reactor technology selected in 2021. The government's draft energy policy document published last year calls for a total of 6.9 gigawatts (GW) of nuclear capacity commissioned by 2043. This equates to 10% of the nation's power demand, which is overwhelmingly based on coal-fired power today.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, six offices in North America and 12 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Our European headquarters are located in Galway, Ireland. Follow IIR Europe on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn For more information on our European coverage send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.eu or visit us online at Industrial Info Europe.
