The operation of the Kozloduy NPP is not dependent on Russian engineering companies

We are not dependent on Russian engineering - 100% of the Bulgarian nuclear power plant is serviced by Bulgarian nuclear companies that work in this business. Bogomil Manchev, chairman of the Management Board of the Bulgarian Atomic Forum "Bulatom", stated this to BNT. The fuel is of Russian origin, but Rosatom is not on the banned list, he said. If it is put under sanctions - 28% of American plants will stop because they receive uranium concentrate from the Russian corporation "Rosatom". Then we will think about us, he said.

There are two offers to Bulgaria - one is from the American "Westinghouse", which can produce the old fuel and they still have a year to analyze whether their fuel is suitable for our NPP. The other proposal is from Framatom. He is the one who gave the best conditions for the Kozloduy NPP, Manchev shared.

However, the replacement and maintenance parts for the NPP could be a problem, but there are companies in Europe where some of the spare parts can be produced - in the Czech Republic and France for example.

Regarding the shutdown of the Maritsa 3 TPP in Dimitrovgrad, the chairman of Bulatom stated that the plant has a complex permit and if there are any violations, it must fix them and resume work. The installed capacity of the thermal power plant is 120 megawatts, but they operate below 100 megawatts. If we reach the maximum violations - regardless of which TPP - because the violations are reported at all coal plants and we have to stop our plants - we will close about 4,000 megawatts of capacity, which is 16 million megawatt hours of electricity production on an annual basis. I.e. one hundred percent we will cut off exports and have a deficit, and there is not much excess energy around Bulgaria, said Manchev.

When asked why measures are now being taken with TPP Maritsa 3, given that 23 violations have already been committed by the plant, Manchev recommended that the question be asked of the previous two ministers of energy, as well as the ministers of the environment and water.

It is very easy to close with a light hand, but it is a problem for the people who work, he said

"The EU wanted to close all thermal power plants by 2025, but we fought as a country to do it by 2038. But we won't do anything until the 38th year, because that's how we are - we're cunning. We think that on we will get away with it. Two mandates said that we would get a derogation, what should we get a derogation from? We do not represent any significant contribution," added the chairman of Bulatom.