RUSSIA TO DEMAND A STAKE IN BELENE NPP
Rosatom will demand guarantees for share participation in the second Bulgarian nuclear power plant (NPP) near the town of Belene during the scheduled talks within the framework of the working visit of Russia's Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, to Bulgaria on November 13. Putin's visit is at the invitation of his host Prime Minister, Boyko Borissov.
In addition to Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko, the Russian delegation will also include the head of Rosatom, whose subsidiary Atomstroyexport was selected to implement the Belene NPP project in 2006. The arguments in favour of Russia's stake in the future plant will be substantiated by the renewed proposal for a Russian loan. Currently, Rosatom's proposal to extend a €2 billion credit for the construction of Belene is still in force.
Russia's Atomstroyexport won the tender for building a second NPP in Bulgaria with its €3.997 billion bid, offering to construct the two 1,000-MW units within six years and an estimated price of the electricity generated by the plant of up to 3.8 eurocents/kWh.
For a week, the financial experts from the Russian company in Sofia have been negotiating with their colleagues from the Bulgarian Energy Holding SPLTD whose criteria will determine the higher cost of the project. So far there has been a consensus for the project's cost to rise with a flat amount and not according to inflation indices of the EU and Russia. According to the CEO of the National Electricity Company, Krassimir Parvanov, and Secretary of BULATOM (Bulgarian Atomic Forum), Stanislav Georgiev, cited by BNR, if the agreed amount stands at €3 billion, it will be considered a success. The final price for the plant's construction will become clear today after talks held between the Energy Ministers of both countries and the Head of Rosatom, and our Energy Holding company. It is expected to be set around or just over €7 billion and be valid for the 6 years during which the two reactors will be built. The new price of the electricity generated by Belene NPP will be calculated on this basis.
