Expats

Bulgaria abandons the Belene nuclear plant project [Mar 28, 2012] Sofia (dpa) - Bulgaria has definitively abandoned plans to complete a second nuclear power plant, a high-ranking official said Wednesday after a government meeting.Instead of establishing a nuclear plant at the town of Belene on the Danube, Bulgaria will construct a gas-powered thermal plant, deputy finance minister Vladislav Goranov told reporters.The Belene plant project hit a wall when its ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Nuclear Plant CEO Brutally Attacked [Nov 22, 2011] Two unidentified assaulters have attacked the general director of Bulgaria's sole nuclear plant Kozloduy late on Monday not far away from his home. The condition of Alexander Nikolov was not immediately clear. The attackers have fled the scene of the crime. ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Sues Russia in Geneva over Belene Project [Oct 06, 2011] Bulgaria's state-run power grid operator has tabled a lawsuit in Geneva against Russia's state nuclear company Atomstroyexport over delayed payments on the planned Belene nuclear plant, the energy minister said on Thursday. The news was broken by Minister Traicho Traikov in an interview for the Bulgarian National TV channel, while representatives of the Bulgarian company declined comment. At the ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Sues Russia over Belene Nuclear Project [Oct 06, 2011] Bulgaria's state-run power grid operator has tabled a lawsuit against Russia's state nuclear company Atomstroyexport over delayed payments on the planned Belene nuclear plant, the energy minister said on Thursday. The news was broken by Minister Traicho Traikov in an interview for the Bulgarian National TV channel, while representatives of the Bulgarian company declined comment. It was not ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria: Russian Roadmap for Belene NPP Non-Binding, Focus on Talks! [Aug 17, 2011] Bulgaria's National Electric Company NEK has responded to Russia's Atomstroyexport that the roadmap the Russians proposed for the troubled Belene nuclear plant project cannot be accepted as a legally binding document. "The reaching of a final agreement and the signing of a contract for the Belene NPP will depend on the results of the negotiations in the joint financial working group. The key ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria to Sue Russia in Geneva over Belene N-Project [Aug 04, 2011] Bulgaria's state-run power grid operator has threatened to sue in Geneva Russia's state nuclear company Atomstroyexport over delayed payments on planned Belene nuclear plant. The government in Sofia however was quick to point out that this is not a counter-claim to Moscow's lawsuit at an arbitration court in Paris, which is again on due payments on the nuclear project. "The action was described ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria gets EUR 73.8m aid for shut nuclear units [Jun 28, 2011] (SOFIA ) - Bulgaria signed grant agreements on Tuesday to receive 73.8 million euros ($105.3 million) for energy projects as compensation for shutting down four units at its Kozloduy nuclear plant ahead of joining the EU in 2007. [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria, Russia in New Clash over Nuclear Project Delay [Jun 24, 2011] Much to the surprise of the government in Sofia, Russia has announced it has not been informed of Bulgaria's decision to freeze Belene nuclear project for another three months as of July. "Rosatom has not received Bulgaria's proposal for freezing talks on Belene", the CEO of the Russian state company, contracted for the construction of the nuclear plant, Sergey Kirienko said in Moscow. The ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria signs energy accord with Westinghouse [Jun 20, 2011] Bulgaria has come to an agreement with U.S.-based Westinghouse Electric Co. on future nuclear energy projects. Under Monday's agreement, Westinghouse will cooperate in the planned modernization of the two 1,000-megawatt reactors at Bulgaria's only nuclear plant in Kozlodui. [via YahooNews] More >>

Russian Media: Bulgaria Plays Daredevil over Belene Delay [Jun 20, 2011] Bulgaria does not seem scared by the prospect of being taken to arbitration by the Russian contractor Rosatom as it plans to miss the July 1 deadline for signing a final agreement for the construction of Belene nuclear plant, Russian media comments. Bulgaria suspended negotiations with Rosatom over Belene nuclear project for three months and in this way breached its commitment to sign an ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria signs nuclear energy accord with Westinghouse [Jun 13, 2011] SOFIA, Bulgaria ? Bulgaria has come to an agreement with U.S.-based Westinghouse Electric Co. on future nuclear energy projects. Under Monday?s agreement, Westinghouse will cooperate in the planned modernization of the two 1,000-megawatt reactors at Bulgaria?s only nuclear plant in Kozlodui. The licenses at the Russian-built reactors expire in 2017 and in 2019. The document also envisages the ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Cracks found in protective casings at Bulgaria nuclear plant [May 05, 2011] Cracks were detected in the protective casings of a number of control rods at Bulgaria's sole nuclear plant, but there has been no release of radioactivity, the plant's operator said Thursday. [via YahooNews] More >>

Kozloduy NPP Tiptoes around Bulgaria-Russia Belene Project Talks [Apr 23, 2011] The management of Bulgaria's only operational Kozloduy NPP has denied being involved in any way in the ongoing Bulgarian-Russian talks for the construction a second nuclear plant in Belene. What is more, senior Bulgarian officials made it clear Friday that Bulgaria must be very careful in the talks with Russia on the Belene project because if Bulgaria backs out of it, then Russia can block the ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Rosatom to Claim EUR 1 B from Bulgaria over Missed Deadline [Apr 20, 2011] Bulgaria faces being taken to arbitration by the Russian contractor for the nuclear plant project in Belene as it is likely to miss the June 1 deadline for signing a final agreement. Bulgaria has committed to sign until June 1 an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for building a nuclear power plant at Belene, Russian media reported, citing representatives of state-owned ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria PM Dismisses Belene Nuclear Plant Scandal as 'Political Talk' [Apr 06, 2011] The newly signed document between Bulgaria and Russia for the construction of the Belene nuclear plant, which caused a scandal among Bulgarian ministers, is no threat to the country's national security, according to PM Boyko Borisov. He commented on the signed annex 12 with the Russian "Atomstroyexport" regarding the project to build a second Nuclear Power Plant, NPP, in the Danube town of ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria: new nuclear plant put on hold [Apr 05, 2011] Bulgaria and Russia say they will postpone the building of a nuclear plant for three months while they analyze plant safety in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster. [via YahooNews] More >>

'Last-Minute' Bulgaria-Russia Talks on Belene Nuclear Plant Drag On [Apr 01, 2011] The last-minute talks between Bulgaria's NEK and Russia's Rosatom over the fate of the Belene nuclear plant project, which were supposed to be concluded Thursday night, have dragged on. According to the press center of Bulgaria's National Electric Company NEK, there is "nothing to report" about the talks in Sofia, while Bulgarian Economy and Energy Minister Traicho Traikov told BNT that the ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria prepares 'stress test' at Kozloduy nuclear plant [Mar 22, 2011] Bulgaria launched preparations Tuesday for a "stress test" of its sole nuclear power plant at Kozloduy, following EU safety concerns brought on by Japan's tsunami-damaged nuclear plant. [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Uncertain over New Reactor [Mar 19, 2011] Euronews Europe's atomic energy anxiety finds Bulgaria hesitating over plans to get a second nuclear plant, in Belene, in the north. The government is concerned about safety and costs. ... [via YahooNews] More >>

Bulgaria Health Minister: No Grounds for Radiation Pills Craze [Mar 16, 2011] Bulgaria's health minister has tried to assuage fears of radiation winds reaching the country after Japan nuclear plant blasts, which has spiked demand for the drug potassium iodide. "Those Bulgarians who are worried about their health over the events happening in Japan should better recall their lessons in geography and see where this country is on the map. They will realize right way that ... [via YahooNews] More >>