Bulgaria

Romanian police ‘escorts’ Bulgarian nuclear fuel along the Danube River

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Bucharest. The comments on the low control over the transportation of Bulgarian nuclear fuel along the Danube River is among the headlines in the Romanian press today.

The Gandul daily notes that every year the Bulgarian ship Vasil Drumev and the boat Nautilus transport 60 tons of nuclear fuel from Kozloduy to the Ukrainian port of Ismail. The nuclear fuel used in Kozloduy is transported as waste to the Ukrainian port, from where the ship turns back loaded with fresh fuel.
According to the article the ‘tourist’ boats, used by the Romanian police to escort the cargo, often malfunction.

Posted in |

Nuclear projects in central and southeast Europe

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

A number of countries in central, eastern and southeastern Europe plan to build new nuclear power reactors or extend the life of existing ones to meet growing domestic demand and replace ageing power capacity.

The plans mirror a worldwide nuclear boom as part of the solution to climate change.

Posted in | »

Bulgaria reopens nuclear unit after maintenance

Monday, July 21, 2008

SOFIA, July 21 (Reuters) - Bulgaria's sole nuclear power plant Kozloduy has reconnected one of its 1,000 megawatt reactors to the national grid after completing planned annual maintenance 13 days earlier, the plant said on Monday.

Kozloduy shut down the unit in early June and restarted it last Friday. The reactor was loaded with fresh nuclear fuel.

Posted in | »

Bulgaria sends uranium fuel to Russia

Monday, July 21, 2008

WASHINGTON -- Bulgaria has sent its remaining highly enriched uranium to Russia for safeguarding from terrorist or other potential misuse.

Nearly 14 pounds of the spent fuel were received Thursday at a Russian nuclear facility, the U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration announced. A first shipment of 37.3 pounds of fresh uranium fuel was sent to Russia in December 2003.

Posted in | »

NPP Employee Suspects Nuclear Fuel Fraud

Monday, July 14, 2008

There is a possibility that a corruption scheme for the supply of nuclear fuel was created at the Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) "Kozloduy", according to statements made before Darik radio by Georgi Kotev.
Kotev is an employee of the NPP and had initially made his accusations through a popular video clips Internet site.

According to the NPP employee beginning in 2004, "Kozloduy" might have been importing recycled fuel instead of new one and the NPP's top management has been personally profiting from the price difference.The NPP Director Ivan Genov firmly denied Kotov's allegations.

Posted in | »

Environmental Tourism - Green Bike Tour

Friday, July 11, 2008

A group of young people from several European countries are taking a cycling tour from Bulgaria to Turkey to show the world that travelling and a good life are possible without much energy consumption.

Fifteen people -- from Bulgaria, Croatia, Bosnia, Spain, Portugal and a few other countries -- started the 2008 Ecotopia Biketour Jul. 4 in Bulgarian capital Sofia. After travelling for about 600 km in Bulgaria and another 1,000 km in Turkey, over more than one month, they will reach their final destination, the city of Sinop on the Black Sea Coast in northern Turkey. More people are expected to join on the way.

Posted in | »

International Bicycle Procession Starts in Sofia

Friday, July 4, 2008

The 20th edition of the international bicycle procession ‘Ecotopia' starts from Bulgaria on July 5 and will end in Turkey 5 weeks later, the organizers from 'Veloevolutsia' (Bikevolution) Association ‘, part of EYFA (European Youth For Action).

The welcoming of the guests and the official opening of the bicycle procession will occur tonight in front of the National Palace of Culture (NDK) in Sofia with an action in support of the steady development of Bulgaria, during which the citizen could inform themselves about the most actual environmental problems of Bulgaria.

Posted in | »

Fears over Bulgarian nuclear boom

Friday, July 4, 2008

Two safety scares in June at nuclear plants in Slovenia and the Czech Republic have led to renewed calls for Europe to abandon nuclear power. But with energy prices soaring, the nuclear sector is actually on the rise.

The EU already has the highest number of nuclear plants in the world and Bulgaria is leading those member states determined to increase their nuclear dependence.

Posted in | »

Bulgaria Energy Minister: NPP "Belene" Delayed

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

There are delays in the projects for the Nuclear Power Plant "Belene" and the power plants in the "Maritsa-East" basin, according to Bulgaria's Minister of Economy and Energy, Petar Dimitrov.

Dimitrov made the above admissions just before the meeting of the National Security Council convened by Bulgaria's President Georgi Parvanov Tuesday to discuss the Bulgaria's participation in major energy projects and their effect on the country's security.

Posted in | »

Calls for Kozloduy closure cash

Friday, June 6, 2008

The Bulgarian government is pushing the European Commission for at least another €550 million to compensate it for the forced closure of its Kozloduy nuclear power complex.

Posted in | »