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18 comments on EuroNews: November 29, 2006

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Chris Vernon on November 30, 2006 - 8:37am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Ha! The original article is in error, billions not millions. See this from the BBC write up:

Russia wins Bulgaria nuclear deal

A Russian firm, Atomstroyexport, has won a contract to build a nuclear power plant by the River Danube in Bulgaria.The two 1,000-megawatt reactors will cost 3.9bn euros (£2.6bn; $5.1bn).The Russian firm, in which Russian energy giant Gazprom has a 49% stake, will work jointly with France's Areva and Germany's Siemens, Reuters reports.The first unit at Belene is planned to be ready in six-and-a-half years. An earlier Belene project was frozen in 1991 amid environmental concerns.
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Euan Mearns on November 30, 2006 - 8:55am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
It still seems very cheap! £1.3 billion per neuk! And gazprom with a 49% stake.  Lets hope the Alpine glaciers don't start to melt too fast.
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Mriswith on November 30, 2006 - 2:59pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Unless I misremember, the Belene nuclear plant was started in the 80s, but discontinued after Chernobyl. Thus I believe much of the site-preparation has already been done.

Bulgaria's National Electricity Company officially signed the preliminary contract for constructing its second Nuclear Power Plant in Belene.

If an older plant is already in place, perhaps some of the infrastructure requirements for the new plant is too.

But I agree that it seems cheap, in a couple of years when every country across the world scrambles to get nuclear plants (my prediction), Bulgaria will probably count themselves fortunate they were able to get two reactors cheaply.

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LevinK on November 30, 2006 - 3:52pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
The first bulgarian nuclear plant is Kozlodui NPP, situated some 100 miles east of the Belene island, where the new power plant will be.

Part of the reasons for the decision to continue building the Belene plant are due to the closure of units 1-4 of the Kozlodui NPP, required from us as a condition for Bulgaria joining EU. The Belene plant was frozen somewhere aroung 1990 with the fundaments and the building skeletons in advanced stage of construction.

I find the safety concern comments quite baseless and distastefull. The reality is that the Kozloduy plant has a spotless safety record.

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LevinK on November 30, 2006 - 3:53pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Oops that would be 100 miles west of Belene island.
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Euan Mearns on November 30, 2006 - 4:09pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Hi LevinK - you gotta remember that the UK lead the way with nuclear disasters and how to keep them quiet. There was a fire at Windscale back in the 50s- few folks new about neuks back then so the fall out wasn't detected.

Lovelock was working in London then and had instrumentation that did detect the fall out.

Lovelock maintains that there was little recorded death and disease from this accident - of course there's all the folks that died of mysterios causes.

I might guess that the Kozloduy plant doesn't have a concrete containment structure?  Correct me if I'm wrong there.  But what you're saying is that the new neuks will just replace old decommissioned.

We have the same problem here in the UK - a lot of old neuk plants due to close - with no clear idea what will replace them.

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LevinK on November 30, 2006 - 4:20pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
You guess wrong. Units 1 and 2, closed in 2002 did not have containment structure, but units 3 and 4 due to be closed in a month have one.

Units 5 and 6 (VVER-1000) are of more contemporary design and their concrete structure is additionally enforced to fully meet international standards.

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andytk on December 1, 2006 - 8:36am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Sorry LevinK, I was just being facecious.

I wish we could have new nuclear build in the UK too, we're certainly going to need it.

I admit I don't know much about Bulgaria's nuclear programmes.  What is done with high level nuclear waste in Bulgaria?

I was in Bulgaria last year, but I was just passing through.  I wanted to go to Sofia, but the flooding had closed the railway line and I didn't have time to hang around.

Andy

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LevinK on December 1, 2006 - 2:51pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top
Hi Andy,

Nuclear waste is being sent back to Russia where it is reprocessed, AFAIK. A very convenient schema for us, and also quite beneficial for both sides.

Bulgaria is a beautiful country with nice and well-preserved nature. A good choice for vacation, but for the average Bulgarian life is becoming harder recently. Energy and goods prices are closing to or even above european levels, while income stays basically fixed.

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