Bulgaria's PM Turns First Sod of Belene Nuclear Power Plant

by Sofia News Agency www.novinite.com

The Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev turned Wednesday the first sod of Bulgaria's second nuclear power plant in the Danube town of Belene. The ceremony was attended by a number of Bulgarian government officials and representatives of Atomexportstroy, the Russian company, which is building the plant. Stanishev and the Energy and Economy Minister Petar Dimitrov defined the start of the construction of the plant as "a Renaissance for Bulgaria's nuclear energy". "This is the largest industrial project in Bulgaria in the last eighteen years", the PM said, apparently excited by the event. He compared the fate of the Belene nuclear plant to the general condition of the country's economy during the post-communist transition after 1989. The project was frozen in 1990 after local people and environmentalists protested against it, and because the government did not have sufficient funds to continue the construction. In Stanishev's words, Friday's first sod signified a new beginning for all of Bulgaria. He promised the government would do anything necessary in order to complete the construction of the plant. The Energy Minister Dimitrov announced the actual construction works were going to start in May 2009 after the Nuclear Regulation Committee issued a construction permit. However, most of the equipment for the plant would be ordered by the end of 2008. Dimitrov added the Belene plant would be a third generation nuclear power plant with a zero risk for failures. The President of Atomexportstroy Leonid Reznikov assured the public the construction of the plant was not going to cost more than the almost EUR 4 B already agreed upon. The CEO of the Bulgarian National Electric Company NEK Lyubomir Velkov said more than 10 000 workers will be employed during the construction, and 2000 specialist will be permanently employed at the first 1000-MW unit after its completion. The first reactor of the plant is expected to start operating in 2013. NEK will own 51% of the nuclear power plant. By the end of September Bulgaria's government will decided whether the remaining 49% would be sold to the German company RWE or to the Belgian Electrabel.

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