Nuclear power in Bulgaria

Nuclear power generates about a third of electricity in Bulgaria. Bulgaria's first commercial nuclear reactor began operation in 1974.^[1] The Kozloduy NPP operates two pressurized water reactors with a total output of 1906 MW. This makes Bulgaria the 21st-largest user of nuclear power in the world. Construction of the Belene Nuclear Power Plant was officially terminated in March 2012, and a thermal powerplant was supposed to be built on the site.^[2] Efforts in May 2018 to restart the Belene project were unsuccessful. As of 2022^[update], Bulgaria plans to construct new reactors at the existing Kozloduy site,^[3] and at Belene.^[4]

Belene

Kozloduy

Nuclear power plants in Bulgaria (view)
 Active plants
 Unfinished/future plants

Bulgaria has the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant with two pressurized water reactors (together 2000 MW net). Four old and unsafe VVER-440/230 reactors (4 x 408 MW net) were taken off-line in 2004 and 2007). The two active reactors cover almost half of Bulgaria's electricity demand.^[5]

Radioactive waste

Bulgaria has a state agency in charge of radioactive waste disposal. Under a 2002 agreement, Bulgaria pays Russia $620 thousand/ton to reprocess spent fuel. The country also spent €49 million to construct a new storage facility and had plans to build another facility by 2015^[6] but it didn't happen as predicted.

Reactors

Plant name	Unit No.	Type	Model	Status	Capacity (MW)	Begin building	Commercial operation	Closed
Kozloduy	1	PWR	VVER-440/V-230	Shut down	408	1 Apr 1970	28 Oct 1974	31 Dec 2002
	2	PWR	VVER-440/V-230	Shut down	408	1 Apr 1970	10 Nov 1975	31 Dec 2002
	3	PWR	VVER-440/V-230	Shut down	408	1 Oct 1973	20 Jan 1981	31 Dec 2006
	4	PWR	VVER-440/V-230	Shut down	408	1 Oct 1973	20 Jun 1982	31 Dec 2006
	5	PWR	VVER-1000/V-320	Operational	1003	9 Jul 1980	23 Dec 1988
	6	PWR	VVER-1000/V-320	Operational	1003	1 Apr 1982	30 Dec 1993
	7	PWR	AP1000	Planned[7]	1150		(2033)[7]
	8	PWR	AP1000	Planned[7]	1150
Belene	1	PWR	VVER-1000/V-320 VVER-1000/V-446B	Unfinished	953 1011	1987 2008
	2	PWR	VVER-1000/V-320 VVER-1000/V-446B	Unfinished	953 1011	1987 2008

This section is an excerpt from List of commercial nuclear reactors § Bulgaria.[edit]

See also

• Bulgaria portal
• Energy portal

• Energy in Bulgaria
• Politics of Bulgaria

References

1. "Nuclear Power in Bulgaria". World Nuclear Organization. August 2010. Archived from the original on 2009-01-21. Retrieved 2010-10-06.
2. Bulgaria quits Belene Nuclear Power Plant project, Novinite, 28 March 2012
3. "Bulgaria abandons Belene, announces new reactors at Kozloduy". 2022-02-16.
4. "Bulgaria energy strategy includes four new nuclear reactors". www.world-nuclear-news.org. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
5. "Срив при тока от въглища и рекорд за ВЕИ през юни в България". 4 July 2023.
6. “Nuclear Power in Bulgaria.” World Nuclear Association February 2008. < http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf87.html Archived 2009-01-21 at the Wayback Machine>
7. "Bulgaria to push ahead with two new units at Kozloduy". world-nuclear-news.org. World Nuclear News. 25 Oct 2023. Retrieved 3 Nov 2023.

External links

• Uranium Information Center: Nuclear energy in Bulgaria
• Bulgarian Subject Files - Ecology: Nuclear Power Plant at Blinken Open Society Archives, Budapest
• World Nuclear Association Report on Bulgaria's Nuclear Energy History and Present Archived 2009-01-21 at the Wayback Machine