Bulgaria grants EU sanctions exemption for Kozloduy nuclear power plant

Bulgaria's Council of Ministers has granted an exemption from the European Union's anti-Russian sanctions. It concerns provisions on the purchase and import of goods of Russian origin and the awarding of contracts to Russian entities. The move is intended to ensure reliable supplies of components to the Kozloduy nuclear power plant following previous technical difficulties. However, the country plans new nuclear construction with other partners.

Bulgaria operates one nuclear power plant, Kozloduy NPP, in the northwest of the country near the Romanian border. It has two VVER-1000 pressurised water reactors, along with two spent nuclear fuel storage facilities. State-owned operator AEC Kozloduy states that it is the country's main electricity producer, accounting for more than one-third of national annual electricity generation.

World Nuclear News reported that unit 6 at Kozloduy NPP was taken offline twice over the past winter due to problems reportedly linked to the purchase of spare parts from a Russian supplier. The decision by the Council of Ministers (the highest executive body, editor's note) this month is intended to prevent further similar difficulties in the future. The Council granted an exemption from Council Regulation (EU) No 833/2014 of 31 July 2014 concerning restrictive measures in view of Russia's actions destabilising the situation in Ukraine. 

“The priority in operating the Kozloduy nuclear power plant is maintaining the highest level of technical and nuclear safety, radiation protection, safe and healthy working conditions, as well as environmental protection. Regular supplies of components and parts from the designers, constructors and manufacturers of equipment installed at the plant are a key guarantee of nuclear safety and uninterrupted electricity generation. Given that a large proportion of the plant's systems and equipment are of Russian origin, some contracts for the supply of goods related to the reliable and safe operation of units 5 and 6 at the Kozloduy nuclear power plant have been concluded, or need to be concluded, with Russian suppliers,”reported the Bulgarian News Agency citing the government's press office.

Exemption for Russian goods and contract awards

The Bulgarian Council of Ministers established the exemption from three selected articles. These concern, in particular, the ban on purchasing or importing goods of Russian origin and on awarding public contracts to Russian entities. The ban also applies where a Russian subcontractor accounts for more than 10% of the total contract value. At the same time, EU legislation explicitly specifies the grounds on which competent authorities may derogate from the regulation.

The condition is necessity, which includes “the operation, maintenance, supply and reprocessing of fuel and safety of civil nuclear capabilities, the continuation of design, construction and commissioning required for the completion of civil nuclear facilities, the supply of precursor material for the production of medical radioisotopes, critical technology for environmental radiation monitoring, and civil nuclear cooperation.”

For public procurement, the exemption may additionally be applied to decommissioning and radioactive waste management.

New nuclear construction planned by the country is to use US AP1000 technology from Westinghouse. In addition to conventional nuclear units, it is also considering deploying small modular reactors from GE Vernova.