The Parliament approved an agreement with the USA on the construction of a new AP 1000 nuclear unit. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the US Senate are now in motion

The Parliament approved in the second reading the draft law for the ratification of the Agreement between the governments of Bulgaria and the USA on the Project for the construction of nuclear power at the Kozloduy NPP site and the Nuclear Program for Civil Purposes of the Republic of Bulgaria, signed in Sofia on February 12, 2024.

"For" were 161 deputies, "against" - 56, three abstained. "For" were the people's representatives from GERB-SDS, "We continue the change-Democratic Bulgaria" (PP-DB), DPS and "There is such a people". "Against" were voted by "Vazrazhdane", "BSP for Bulgaria" and four people's representatives who are not members of a parliamentary group.

After the entry into force of the law, the Minister of Foreign Affairs must notify the United States through diplomatic channels of the ratification of the agreement, and the Minister of Energy must publish the document in the "State Gazette" within 15 days from the date of its entry into force for Bulgaria. This was recorded by the deputies quoted by BTA.

In order for this decision of the government to actually come into effect, it will be necessary for the US Senate to also approve the intergovernmental agreement, and for the US President to sign it, experts told 3eNews. There are many negotiations at the diplomatic level on this topic. It will also be necessary to sign an agreement for the export of technology from the USA to Bulgaria, and such an agreement has not been prepared at the moment. Only in this way, an intergovernmental agreement enters into force, avoiding the requirements of the European Union to conduct a selection of technology and equipment supplier and EPC contractor.

With a decision of the National Assembly of January 12 and December 18, 2023, the Minister of Energy was obliged to take all actions to make a positive decision for the construction of a new nuclear power plant with AR1000 technology. Pursuant to the decision, a draft agreement was prepared with a framework for strengthening cooperation in the implementation of a Project for the design, construction and commissioning of a new reactor with an installed capacity of at least 1000 megawatts at the Kozloduy NPP.

Kosta Stoyanov from "Vazrazhdane" noted that a permit for the construction of capacities is issued for a conceptual project, which, according to him, is a prerequisite for a significant increase in the cost of the construction of blocks 7 and 8, as well as for commissions in the amount of tens of billions. The parliamentary group demanded that the procedure be terminated, and a new one be conducted on the basis of competitiveness

GERB-SDS, PP-DB and DPS will vote to legalize a "big theft", Stoyanov pointed out. He went back to a business trip to the USA for members of the energy commission, without the representatives of "Vazrazhdane" in the commission being included in the delegation.

I am asking you on the draft law, not on the memo, the speaker of the parliament, Rosen Zhelyazkov, interrupted him.

So far, we have only one selected technology and only one company that will build on it - without competition and transparency of its choice, continued Stoyanov.

The Bulgarian parliament will be turned into a "rubber stamp", added his colleague Petar Petrov.

It's all because of the AR1000 technology, Borislav Gutsanov from "BSP for Bulgaria" joined the debate. Once again, the left reminded that there is only one plant that works on this technology. You are aware that 30 billion dollars cannot be paid, right now you are ready to go to 30 billion, and that with technology that is only in one country, commented the deputy. And he noted that Great Britain has given up on this technology and there is not a single country in Europe that is ready to become an experimental site. Why are you pushing yourself and kneeling, this will be a "black hole" into which money will sink, but nuclear power will not be built, said Borislav Gutsanov. He noted that BSP has always been in favor of nuclear energy, but they want real actions, not "another theft". Will the prosecutor's office ever act on what is happening, asked Gutsanov.

By what logic will we sign with a Canadian company whose management is in the USA, what will the American government do if it goes bankrupt, asked his colleague Rumen Gechev. What happens to the money of the Bulgarian people, he added.