Bogomil Manchev, Chairman of the Bulgarian Atomic Forum "Bulatom": There is a political pressure on the Belene NPP project

The problem with the statement of Mr. Frank Fannon, Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Energy Resources of the US State Department, that his comments are purely political. As for nuclear technology, the person who wrote the speech either did not understand or deliberately gave him false information." This was stated to 3eNews by the chairman of the Bulgarian Atomic Forum "Bulatom" Bogomil Manchev on the occasion of Frank Fannon's allegations about the technology for construction of the Belene project.

"This is a purely political statement and once again there is political pressure on the Belene project. And this issue is within the competence of the government to solve it, not from me as an expert," Manchev added. "As for my competence, which I can claim, the Belene NPP project is of generation 3+ and, contrary to his statement, it has been approved by the International Atomic Energy Agency, and hardly there are working simple people without professional knowledge and skills," he said.

According to him, countries such as France and the United States, where General Electric also comes from, along with Russia, China and South Korea, are all nuclear powers. "And if they came here to Bulgaria to buy old and obsolete technology as candidates for strategic investors, the statement is quite insulting from the side of this gentleman who questions these global companies," said Manchev.

He added that our country is really small in size, but we still have solid experience with nuclear technology: "We have 50 years of experience in nuclear energy, because we have a research reactor since 1961. And let someone come and say that you use old equipment, which the Russian side does not use, then this is simply not true. The same generation of nuclear reactors has or is being built in Finland, Hungary, Turkey, China, Egypt, India and Bangladesh. Four nuclear units of this type are being built in Russia itself, and two of them are already in operation," Manchev concluded.

"My respects to Mr. Frank Fannon and the position he holds, but he follows some other instructions that are not my job. But from a technological point of view, from availability and from the importance for our country, the project for Belene NPP is extremely important and meets the highest modern criteria for nuclear safety. The project is also generation 3+ - a fact confirmed by the IAEA and Euratom, the Manchev reminded. According to him, the American expert may have something against Russian technology, but the reactors are Bulgarian. Manchev also reminded that it would be good if the Bulgarian state retains its majority share in the Belene project.

On the topic of the diversification of nuclear fuel for Kozloduy NPP, Manchev explained that fresh fuel can be produced by both Russia and the American company Westinghouse. "We could produce such fuel through processing - to buy enriched uranium, concentrate from Areva and to produce it from another company that can produce fuel for this type of reactors," said Manchev.

He reminded that Kozloduy NPP currently has a contract with Westinghouse to study the possibilities of supplying fresh nuclear fuel: "In general, I do not know if it is good for the manufacturer to justify its fuel. And according to the agreement, the American company must make a justification to be filed with the Nuclear Regulatory Agency. "It is the regulator that must examine it and say whether or not it is possible to supply such fuel. After all, when tenders for the supply of fresh fuel are held, the Westinghouse will have to be "on an equal footing" with the other TVEL manufacturer, or if a third producer has appeared at that time to produce this fuel," he explained.

I welcome the fact that there is more than one producer so that the Bulgarian side has a choice, said the Chairman of Bulatom.