What sanctions? Bulgaria: authorization to import Russian components for Kozloduy.

The Council of Ministers of Bulgaria has officially approved a new exemption from European Union sanctions, thereby enabling the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant to continue importing the necessary components, equipment and spare parts from the Russian Federation.

According to the official Bulgarian news agency BTA and, for us at WNN, maintaining the highest level of technical and nuclear safety, as well as uninterrupted electricity production, represents an absolute priority for the country. Since a large part of the Kozloduy plant's system and equipment is of Russian origin, regular deliveries of original parts by the designers and manufacturers are a key guarantee for the safe operation of the plant.

How critical this dependency is on the ground was demonstrated during the past winter as well. Block 6, during that period, was taken off the grid twice due to technical problems directly related to difficulties in procuring spare parts from the Russian supplier under the sanctions regime, and Sofia's decision aims to prevent the recurrence of such energy risks in the future.

Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant, located in northwestern Bulgaria on the Danube, produces about 34% of the country’s total electricity. The plant currently operates 2 operational blocks of Russian production type VVER-1000 (blocks 5 and 6), which have undergone extensive modernization and life-extension programs from 30 to 60 years. Additionally, block 5 was synchronized to the grid in 1987, and block 6 in 1991.

Following the outbreak of war in Ukraine, the European Union introduced a number of sanctions packages against Moscow, but the Bulgarian government has now nonetheless decided to suspend the application of parts of Council Regulation (EU) No 833/2014. This decision allows for the conclusion and execution of public procurements with Russian contracting parties, and the exemption will be valid for the entire duration of the supply contract.

Westinghouse AP1000 reactors only after 2035

Although Bulgaria is compelled to temporary compromises with Moscow in order to maintain current security, its long-term strategy is a complete break with Russian technology. The state's plan envisions the construction of two new blocks at the Kozloduy site using American AP1000 technology from Westinghouse.

According to official timelines, the goal is for the first American reactor (Block 7) to come online in 2035, while the second (Block 8) should be operational by 2037. The combined capacity of these two new blocks will be 2,300 megawatts, exceeding the 1,760 megawatts of the four blocks that were shut down. The Bulgarian government also noted that by 2050 it will require additional capacity to fully replace the existing Russian Blocks 5 and 6.

Komentar 

And we are highlighting this news for at least two reasons. First, it is a straightforward fact that it is happening in our neighborhood.

Second, it is rather more complex. Namely, this news demonstrates a unique level of integration of the nuclear industry: European sanctions on Russia are very strict, the European Commission and the administration are very rigorous regarding sanctions on Russia and little is “allowed”; but when it comes to the nuclear industry and nuclear safety – it seems that there is something more powerful than geopolitical interest, no matter how much it today appears as “long-term” and “strategic.” For anyway – sanctions on Russia seem to not exist when it comes to cooperation in this sphere: sanction regimes in the nuclear industry have been introduced and outwardly they seem rigid but within them there are pre-embedded embedded mechanisms for circumventing; thus the U.S. even today relies on imports from Russia for fuel and fuel components.

Of course, one should also consider the other side of this story – the Russian side, i.e., Russia would need to agree to sell Bulgaria the components in question, which may not be guaranteed: Bulgaria stopped buying fuel from Russia for Kozloduy several years ago, and its long-term plan—again—“a complete break with Russian technology,” so the question is whether Russia even wants and should bear any responsibility for Bulgaria's nuclear facilities.

And one more thing should be added: a relatively large number of Eastern European countries are in a very similar situation — inheriting Soviet VVER reactor technology but their explicit aim is to move away from Russian technology: the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Ukraine (Romania bought its nuclear technology from Canada, so this does not apply to it) – it will be quite interesting to watch what happens in those countries if they find themselves in a situation similar to Bulgaria's.

This situation, we admit, is extremely interesting, and we will follow it very closely in the future.

S.A.