(May 30, 1997) The Belene nuclear power plant in Bulgaria is dead. This unfinished nuclear power plant was killed by a governmental decision on May 21 which stated that the plant was technically unsound and economically unviable.
(473.4682) For The Earth - The Russian-designed Belene plant had been the object of desire of several Western nuclear construction companies, including Westinghouse, which were hoping they could make profits on upgrading and completing the reactor with Western money.
Construction was stopped in 1990 due to popular protest.The second nuclear power project in Bulgaria which, for many years have been planned to be completed, and even a second reactor installed, is cancelled for good by the newly elected gover nment of Bulgaria.
On that fruitful day of May 21, the government along with its program was approved in the Parliament. It is written in this program that the completion of Unit 1 of Belene is techically unfeasible and economically unjustifiable. It is stated that Bulgaria cannot continue developing nuclear energy with the existing generation of reactors.
"The society has to shake off the years-long illusion that nuclear ener-gy is cost-effective and the nuclear power plant Kozloduy is safe. The inclusion of all present and future expenses for the storage of the high radioactive waste entails reassessment of all upgrade programs. The work of the old reactors can be extended only if the safety upgrades are acceptable from an economic point of view."
There is an expert council made up of scientists, representatives of governmental energy-related institutions, energy companies and others which reviewed a study done by the Russian institute "Atom-energoproekt" that was pushing for the completion of Belene and offering a credit worth US$400 million. The expert council's decisions refuted the study and decided that the completion of Unit 1 of Belene is economically unjustifiable (you can ask for a detailed summary of the conclusions).
The government's program follows the conclusions of the expert council. Mentioned as first priority in the energy part of the program is energy efficiency. It is stated that a consistent national energy-efficiency program in the course of 20 years can save over 1500 MW and afford the closure of the four old units of Kozloduy.
The decision also comes at a good time for other nuclear fights in the region, where plants of similar design are being proposed for upgrade -- specifically the two reactors in the Ukraine (Rovno 4 and Khlementisky 2) which the G-7 wish to fund to supposedly replace the operating reactors at Chernobyl.
So, this is great news which could reverberate in all Central and Eastern Europe!
Source and Contact:For The Earth, PO. Box 975, 1000 Sofia, Bulgaria.
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