Bulgaria open to Russian role in Belene NPP project – President Radev

Sofia is reviving plans to develop its Belene nuclear power plant and is open to Russian participation in the project, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev said on Monday. Radev made the statement after talks with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow. Sofia cancelled the 2,000 megawatt plant in 2012 after failing to find investors. The Bulgarian government had also faced pressure from the US and the EU to limit its energy dependence on Russia, which was under contract to build the plant. Last week, the government decided to ask parliament to lift a ban on the development of the nuclear project, Reuters said. Bulgaria had to pay more than €620 million ($729 million) to Russian state nuclear company Rosatom for canceling the Belene project. However, Sofia also received nuclear parts for two 1,000 megawatt reactors, and it has to decide what to do with the equipment.