The Continue the Change party stated in a position that the caretaker government is suspending the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant's access to the alternative fuel. The reason for the opinion is a decision by the caretaker government from Thursday, which revokes a decision of the previous cabinet led by Continue the Change of July 13, related to nuclear fuel supply for the Kozloduy NPP.
Continue the Change is concerned about the recent actions of the caretaker government which threaten the energy security and independence of Bulgaria, the party stated. The caretaker government practically stopped the access of the Bulgarian NPP to alternative fuel and has made the country dependent on the traditional supplier TVEL (Russian Federation), wrote Continue the Change in their position.
The party recalled that fuel for the type of reactors used in the Kozloduy NPP is also produced by two European companies, Westinghouse (Sweden) and Framatome (France). "Bulgaria may experience the consequences of cancelling this decision by the Petkov cabinet in the next 2 years, when the stocks of nuclear fuel for the NPP will be exhausted," the position added.
The July 13 decision states that in implementation of EU policy, and in order to reduce the Bulgarian energy industry's dependence one supplier or on suppliers directly or indirectly related to political decisions of the Russian Federation, opportunities for diversification of supplies of fresh nuclear fuel for Kozloduy NPP must be sought.
On Thursday, the caretaker cabinet decided that the restrictions imposed in the July 13 decision, related to the non-admission of supplies and services from the Russian Federation, could prevent the participation of Westinghouse and exclude the possibility of Framatome to participate in the diversification process.
One of the arguments of the caretaker cabinet was that in a joint venture with the company TVEL, Framatome produces cartridges with nuclear fuel, which are a complete analogue of the ones used in the Kozloduy NPP. RWFA-type fresh nuclear fuel cartridges produced by Westinghouse could be used at the Kozloduy NPP if they are licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Agency. Their implementation may require consulting services from the Kurchatovsky Institute Russian Scientific Centre, which is under contract with the Kozloduy NPP to enter the fuel data into the internal reactor control system.
Commenting on the subject, Energy Minister Rossen Hristov said on Friday that the previous government's decision had blocked opportunities for diversification, market principles and transparency, and the emphasis was on only one company. Furthermore, this one company had no way to provide fuel, as it still does not have a license for it.
/DD/
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