Nuclear power in Bulgaria
Encyclopedia
The Bulgarian government has favored nuclear power
for the generation of electricity
since 1956, and Bulgaria's first commercial nuclear reactor
began to operate in 1974.. The government plans to build two new units at the Belene Nuclear Power Plant
. A contract with Russian Atomstroyexport has been signed for two AES-92 VVER-1000 reactors.
In Bulgaria
, the Kozloduy NPP
operated six pressurized water reactor
s with a total output of 3760 MW-electricity. Two of these, units 5 and 6, are currently operational with a total rating of 1906 MW. The first two reactors (units 1 and 2) to be built starting in 1966 were older Soviet VVER
-440 V230 reactors. Units 3 and 4 were VVER-440 V213 reactors with significant safety upgrades, and the final two units were the more powerful VVER-1000 V320 units, completed in 1988 and 1992. Units 1 and 2 were closed in 2004 as part of the process of initiating accession to the European Union
(EU), with a compensating payment of €200 million; Units 3 and 4 despite the safety updgrades, were powered down simultaneously with final accession to the EU, raising the compensation to €550 million.
Work has started on the Belene Nuclear Power Plant
's two reactors for another approximately 2GW of nuclear power
generation, targeted for first power in 2013. The total cost of the project is now estimated by the operator to be around €7 billion (€4 billion for the power stations plus associated infrastructure development costs).
Critics say the project is economically flawed, open to corruption and mismanagement, and will cement Russian dominance of Bulgaria's energy sector. The government says global energy pressures make the project necessary.
disposal. Under a 2002 agreement, Bulgaria pays Russia $620 thousand/ton to reprocess spent fuel. The country also spent EUR 49 million to construct a new storage facility and has plans to build another facility by 2015.
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
for the generation of electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
since 1956, and Bulgaria's first commercial nuclear reactor
Nuclear reactor
A nuclear reactor is a device to initiate and control a sustained nuclear chain reaction. Most commonly they are used for generating electricity and for the propulsion of ships. Usually heat from nuclear fission is passed to a working fluid , which runs through turbines that power either ship's...
began to operate in 1974.. The government plans to build two new units at the Belene Nuclear Power Plant
Belene Nuclear Power Plant
The Belene Nuclear Power Plant is a nuclear power plant currently under construction 3 km from Belene and 11 km from Svishtov in Pleven Province, northern Bulgaria, near the Danube River...
. A contract with Russian Atomstroyexport has been signed for two AES-92 VVER-1000 reactors.
In Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
, the Kozloduy NPP
Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant
The Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant is a nuclear power plant in Bulgaria situated north of Sofia and east of Kozloduy, a town on the Danube river, near the border with Romania. It is the country's only nuclear power plant and the largest in the region...
operated six pressurized water reactor
Pressurized water reactor
Pressurized water reactors constitute a large majority of all western nuclear power plants and are one of three types of light water reactor , the other types being boiling water reactors and supercritical water reactors...
s with a total output of 3760 MW-electricity. Two of these, units 5 and 6, are currently operational with a total rating of 1906 MW. The first two reactors (units 1 and 2) to be built starting in 1966 were older Soviet VVER
VVER
The VVER, or WWER, is a series of pressurised water reactors originally developed by the Soviet Union, and now Russia, by OKB Gidropress. Power output ranges from 440 MWe to 1200 MWe with the latest Russian development of the design...
-440 V230 reactors. Units 3 and 4 were VVER-440 V213 reactors with significant safety upgrades, and the final two units were the more powerful VVER-1000 V320 units, completed in 1988 and 1992. Units 1 and 2 were closed in 2004 as part of the process of initiating accession to the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
(EU), with a compensating payment of €200 million; Units 3 and 4 despite the safety updgrades, were powered down simultaneously with final accession to the EU, raising the compensation to €550 million.
Work has started on the Belene Nuclear Power Plant
Belene Nuclear Power Plant
The Belene Nuclear Power Plant is a nuclear power plant currently under construction 3 km from Belene and 11 km from Svishtov in Pleven Province, northern Bulgaria, near the Danube River...
's two reactors for another approximately 2GW of nuclear power
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
generation, targeted for first power in 2013. The total cost of the project is now estimated by the operator to be around €7 billion (€4 billion for the power stations plus associated infrastructure development costs).
Critics say the project is economically flawed, open to corruption and mismanagement, and will cement Russian dominance of Bulgaria's energy sector. The government says global energy pressures make the project necessary.
Radioactive waste
Bulgaria has a state agency in charge of radioactive wasteRadioactive waste
Radioactive wastes are wastes that contain radioactive material. Radioactive wastes are usually by-products of nuclear power generation and other applications of nuclear fission or nuclear technology, such as research and medicine...
disposal. Under a 2002 agreement, Bulgaria pays Russia $620 thousand/ton to reprocess spent fuel. The country also spent EUR 49 million to construct a new storage facility and has plans to build another facility by 2015.