China Nuclear Energy Group is planning to engage in the construction of the Belene nuclear project in Bulgaria. Boyko Borissov, the Bulgarian prime minister, together with the deputy General Manager of EU Funds and the representatives from China Nuclear Energy Group held talks around the project opportunities recently.
The source disclosed that the Belene nuclear power project could be implemented in the principle of the marketing operation in case there is no national investment and the long-term purchase contract involved. The China Nuclear Energy Group indicated that after Bulgaria’s state-owned National Electricity Company (NEK) pay off the fines of the Russian company Atomstroyexpor. China probably will consider participating in this project complying with the marketing operation principle. The Critics point out that the “marketing operation” means it is acceptable to strip off the assets from the project company and meantime to execute the planning of the project privatization.
*The Belene Nuclear Power Plant is a planned nuclear power plant 3 km from Belene and 11 km from Svishtov in Pleven Province, northern Bulgaria, near the Danube River. It was intended to substitute four VVER-440 V230 reactors of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant that were decommissioned as a prerequisite for Bulgaria to join the European Union.
