Bulgaria extended the period of negotiations on the sale of nuclear reactors to Ukraine

The Parliament of Bulgaria has extended by six months the period of negotiations given to the government for negotiations on the sale of two Russian nuclear reactors and related equipment to Ukraine.

This was reported by Euractiv.

Bulgaria bought reactors from Russiaʼs Atomexport for €600 million more than six years ago — the country did not use them because it refused to build the Belene NPP. Now the reactors are stored near "Belene" awaiting sale.

Bulgaria has been negotiating the sale of equipment with Ukraine for almost two years, the parliament obliged the government to conclude an agreement at a price of at least €600 million. Energy workers of the Ukrainian NPP "Energoatom" came to Bulgaria to inspect the equipment of the "Belene" NPP. However, the decision to sell the reactors was influenced by the full-scale invasion of Russia.

The Bulgarian-Ukrainian deal is unique because only Bulgaria has two Russian reactors it doesnʼt need, and Ukraine is the only country that can benefit from them. Earlier this year, the European Commission acknowledged that a potential reactor purchase deal could be financed by the European Union.

This year, Ukraine plans to start construction of four new nuclear units at the Khmelnytskyi NPP. Two of them are planned to be built on Russian equipment, which Ukraine wants to buy in Bulgaria. The other two will be built using American Westinghouse technology.