Bulgaria signs nuclear fuel deal with French firm to reduce dependence on Russia

Bulgaria

State owned Kozloduy nuclear plant in Bulgaria signed a deal for nuclear fuel supply with a French firm on Friday (December 30) in its attempt to reduce dependence on Russia. The state-owned Kozloduy plant on the Danube river currently relies on Russian fuel for its two Soviet-built 1,000-megawatt reactors.

Russia has been facing global sanctions in the aftermath of Ukraine invasion. It has chosen to leverage its position as major energy provider to Europe to counter political pressure and sanctions. European countries have upped their efforts in recent months to secure energy resources and reduce dependence on Russia. 

Under a 10-year agreement signed Friday, Framatome, a subsidiary of French energy giant EDF, will supply nuclear fuel to Kozloduy's unit 5 reactor from early 2025. 

Last week, Kozloduy signed a similar contract with Westinghouse Electric Sweden to deliver nuclear fuel for its other operational reactor, unit 6, from 2024. 

Bulgaria's interim energy minister Rosen Hristov said, "With two agreements in place, we have achieved full diversification of nuclear fuel deliveries."

"The aim is security of deliveries and safe operation," he added. 

Westinghouse's nuclear fuel has yet to be approved for use by Bulgaria's Nuclear Regulatory Agency. 

However, Framatome's fuel is identical with the one currently used in Kozloduy as it is being produced under licence from the nuclear unit of Russia's Rosatom, Tvel. 

Bulgaria's current contract with Tvel expires in end-2025. 

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Kozloduy supplies over a third of the country's electricity and is a major electricity exporter to the rest of the Balkans, prompting the plant to seek to substitute Russian fuel in order to ensure its operation amid the war in Ukraine. 

(With inputs from agencies)

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