Radev says Bulgaria and Ukraine could jointly build reactors at Belene
Sofia has proposed to Kyiv that the reactors meant for Belene be built jointly at the Bulgarian site with EU and U.S. support. Ukraine is taking the offer seriously, Radev said.
Archive image · Photo: Ajrocket1 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Bulgaria has proposed to Ukraine that the reactors for the Belene nuclear power plant be built jointly at the Bulgarian site, Prime Minister Rumen Radev told a parliamentary hearing, energy news site 3e-news reported Wednesday, citing the BTA news agency. Ukraine still wants to buy the reactors, Radev said, and Sofia has offered to carry out the project together with EU and U.S. support “since they have the technology for installing these reactors.”
Radev cited security as the reason for the site: “Because in Belene we can guarantee security and safety of operation of this nuclear plant.” He discussed the issue in Sofia with Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Ukrainian presidential office. The meeting was not announced in advance at Budanov’s explicit request for security reasons. Budanov will raise the proposal with the U.S. side, and Ukraine is taking it seriously, Radev said.
Bulgaria is awaiting further information, and the talks are being conducted with the necessary discretion, the prime minister said. The report gave no details on costs, timing or the number of reactors. Ukraine had shown interest in the equipment intended for Belene; it is unclear whether it could now be used in Bulgaria instead of Ukraine.