 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Bulgaria wants EU approval to reopen nuclear reactors: minister
Sofia (AFP) Jan 16, 2008 Bulgaria should be allowed to reopen two closed reactors at its Kozloduy nuclear plant or receive larger compensation for the EU-required shutdown, the energy minister said Wednesday. "We see the European Commission's decision for the shutdown as unfair, not only towards Bulgaria but also towards the rest of the Balkans ... Everybody agrees that the blocs were closed not because they were unsafe but as a kind of political price Bulgaria had to pay to join the EU," Petar Dimitrov said. "That is why we have started working on an action plan with two parallel lines: to lift the ban for reopening reactors three and four at Kozloduy, or to increase the compensation money for the closure above the agreed 550 million euros (814 million dollars)," he added. Bulgaria had been a major electricity exporter to the Balkans, covering 60 percent of the region's energy deficit in 2006 by sending abroad 7.8 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity. But it had to shut down two old but revamped 440-megawatt reactors at its sole nuclear plant at Kozloduy in December 2006 because of safety concerns to secure accession to the European Union in January. It had already closed the two oldest 440-megawatt reactors in 2002. Two 1,000-megawatt reactors are still in operation at Kozloduy and, until recently, Sofia remained able to export some electricity. On Monday, however, the economy and energy ministry announced that it was ceasing exports completely to cover increased home consumption during the winter season. Dimitrov said economic losses due to the closure of the two reactors in 2006 has amounted so far to 2.5 billion euros. Bulgaria will sign Friday a four-billion-euro contract with Russian company Atomstroyexport to build a second 2,000-megawatt nuclear power plant at Belene on the Danube in order to compensate for the lost capacity. Construction work is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2008, with the first reactor expected to be operational by January 2013 and the second a year later. The European Commission has given its approval. "Bulgaria has a clear policy in favour of developing nuclear energy and the decision to build the plant at Belene is part of that policy to both cover home consumption and secure exports to the region," Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev said Wednesday. He said that lobbying in favour of reopening the reactors at Kozloduy will be "a tough task" but said he wanted to "have at least tried." Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Related Links Civil Nuclear Energy Science, Technology and News Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com
23 US groups forge coalition against India nuclear deal
Washington (AFP) Jan 15, 2008Twenty-three US groups launched an effort Tuesday to stop a US deal aimed at providing India with civilian nuclear fuel and technology, saying it would instead beef up New Delhi's atomic weapons capability. |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2007 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
