Thousands call for re-opening of Bulgarian nuclear reactors

CIVIL NUCLEAR

Pump failure cuts capacity at Bulgarian nuclear plant
A pump failure at Bulgaria's nuclear power plant at Kozloduy caused a partial lowering of reactor capacity, officials said Friday, while stressing that there was no danger from radiation. "A failure in one of the main circulating pumps, which is situated in the radiation-free secondary circuit of the bloc, triggered a standard authomatic process of lowering of capacity to 65 percent," the deputy head of the country's nuclear regulation agency, Borislav Stanimirov, told AFP. "This is not an incident situation and there is no reason to worry," he added. The ministry of economy and energy also said in a statement that "there is no change to the radiation situation in the region of the plant." Stanimirov added that, following a required further lowering of capacity to 40 percent, the pump was switched back on and the reactor was expected to regain full capacity within ten hours. Only two 1,000-megawatt reactors at Bulgaria's sole nuclear power plant are currently in operation after the country had to shut four smaller units at the same plant by end-2006 in order to join the European Union. The incident with the pump came as Bulgaria's electricity utility reported record consumption levels over the past week following the total cut in Russian natural gas deliveries due to the price spat between Moscow and Kiev. Gas-fired heating plants across Bulgaria were forced to reduce supply and electricity demand soared as people turned to electrical appliances for heating in the dead of winter.

by Staff Writers
Sofia (AFP) Jan 18, 2009
At least 6,000 demonstrators rallied in Sofia Sunday to call for the re-opening of two reactors at the country's sole nuclear plant in Kozloduy as the Russo-Ukrainian gas crisis continued to bite.

The demonstrators - 6,000 according to police estimates but 10,000 according to organisers, marched along Sofia's main shopping street behind a brass band chanting "Kozloduy! Kozloduy!"

The rally was organised by the new Leader party of energy tycoon Hristo Kovachki and supported by a small nationalist formation and the two biggest trade unions, KNSB and Podkrepa.

The Russia-Ukraine gas crisis has hit Bulgaria especially hard as it relies almost entirely on Russian deliveries via Ukraine for its gas needs.

It has also rekindled talk of re-opening the two reactors, which were shut because of EU safety concerns hours before Bulgaria joined the EU on January 1, 2007.

Brussels demanded the closure of the old but modernised VVER 440-megawatt reactors, which lacked stable confinement structures in case of a radioactive leak.

Bulgaria announced this week it would start technical preparations to re-open one of them if the gas crisis continued and Brussels agreed.

"The country is currently covering its electricity needs and also exporting some electricity, but it is prepared to react if consumption can no longer be satisfied," Economy and Energy Minister Petar Dimitrov told national radio Sunday.

"Preparations would take a month," he added.

Kozloduy director Ivan Genov told the radio that "the reactor will be brought to a state where it can be restarted within one week if the government so decides and the European Commission gives its consent."

He said the reactor could work for five months with its leftover fuel cartridges, which were only partly used before its closure.

The reactors would only be re-opened temporarily, Dimitrov explained, however.

Restarting them for good would require approval by all other 26 EU member states, some of which staunchly oppose nuclear energy.

A temporary restart on the other hand can be authorised by the European Commission if Bulgaria can prove a state of crisis, Dimitrov said.

Bulgaria's EU Consumer Affairs Commissioner Meglena Kuneva meanwhile appealed Sunday that "the problems with Russia and Ukraine not be transferred to Bulgaria's relations with Brussels."

The two 1,000-megawatt units still in operation at Kozloduy "were modernised with European money," she pointed out, noting that "the EU never wanted to leave Bulgaria without electricity."

And if Bulgaria had spent 300 million euros on energy efficiency instead of modernising the two closed blocs, the economy would be more competitive, she said.

Most Bulgarians support nuclear energy and regard the reactor closure as a sacrifice to join the EU, prompting politicians to use the topic for political gain ahead of general elections in July.

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CIVIL NUCLEAR

Bulgaria to re-open nuclear reactor, if Brussels agrees: PM

Sofia (AFP) Jan 16, 2009
Bulgaria will start technical preparations to re-open one of its shut nuclear reactors at Kozloduy if the gas crisis continues, but only with Brussels' consent, Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev said Friday.

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