site.btaEnergy Minister: Technical Problem with Kozloduy Unit 6 Does Not Pose Radiation Hazard

"The problem with Unit 6, which has been shut down for repairs, is technical, and there is no risk of background radiation changing," Bulgarian Energy Minister Rossen Hristov said here on Tuesday.

He visited the Kozloduy N-Plant, toured the facility and Unit 6, talked to the management of the plant, and met the media on site.

After scheduled annual maintenance, Unit 6 was brought on stream on October 29 but went through an emergency shut-down shortly after that due to a technical problem with the generator’s coolant system, the non-nuclear part of the unit.

Hristov specified that sealings are being replaced at this point, and this process is expected to be completed by the end of the week, and test-runs and start-up of the reactor will follow.

In the Minister's words, another reason for his visit to the plant was its readiness to switch to new nuclear fuel.

"In a matter of weeks, we are planning to launch a procedure for the selection of a nuclear fuel supplier. To date two companies have expressed interest and are actively involved in the process: Westinghouse of the US and Framatome of France. As you know, deliveries from Russia are under a question mark because Russia is unwilling to cooperate… Therefore, we are opting entirely for European and American fuel sources, and we expect contracts to be signed very shortly," Hristov said, quoted on Bulgarian National Radio.