Russian retaliatory attack after Bulgaria’s freezing the construction of the gas pipeline South Stream on Bulgarian territory came with no delay. During the International Forum Atomekspo in Moscow Deputy Director-General for Foreign Economic Activity and Business Development of Rosenergoatom, Stanislav Antipov, gave special briefing for Bulgarian media, which suggested that Sofia will be in trouble with the modernization of V and VI blocks of its NPP Kozloduy.
The Russian company, along with the French Electricite de France was commissioned yet in 2011 to analyze the state of the two 1000 MW reactors and on this basis to propose measures to extend the life of the facilities. Complying with their recommendations, NPP Kozloduy had to prepare a programme of modernization that must be approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Agency (NRA), and after conducting its execution assessment the state company was to request new licenses for the operation of the units. All this against a solid amount of 31.24 million levs.
Earlier this year the results of the assessment by Rosenergoatom and Electricite de France on the remaining lifetime of the equipment became known. Then Executive Director of NPP Kozloduy Ivan Genov said that the conclusions of the two companies showed that the lifetime of both unikts may be extended by at least 20 years. Then a further increase by another 10 years is possible, and a large-scale modernization programme will go in two phases and will cost between 200 and 300 million euros. But now suddenly this date changed, Antipov said. It turned out that about 250-300 million euros will be the cost of the extension of the lives of each of the first two units of nuclear plant and the total amount thus swells to 600 million.
This includes the engineering work and the replacement or repair of equipment, which can not withstand the entire period specified for the additional work of the blocks. The price is not fixed and can be further changed depending on the results of auctions that the NPP Kozloduy will have to conduct for the repair works, as well as on any additional activities that may be required by the NRA, said Deputy General Director of Rosenergoatom. Moreover, he warned that if Bulgaria decided to seek another contractor it may not be able to fit into the terms of prolonging the life of blocks V and VI and the modernization could be facing a risk.
Any other company will need much time to explore the reactors, the methods of their construction and the special equipment incorporated in them. Only after acquiring this knowledge, the foreign contractor will be able to proceed with the analysis of indicators necessary to continue the life of the blocks – having in mind data on the aging of the metal and the strength of the containment. All this work can not be done so that Bulgaria could fit in the deadline 2017-2019, that has already been set, if the country decides not to use the knowledge and experience of the Russian side, said Antipov. His opinion was that the planned modernization will allow the two units to work for another 15 to 20 years, and not as the government assured broad public – for 30 years.
The BANKER
