SOFIA - Bulgaria's sole nuclear power plant, Kozloduy, is ready to take action in case of natural disasters, technical failure or a combination of both, a report by the country's Nuclear Regulation Agency showed on Thursday.
The Balkan country conducted so-called stress tests at Kozloduy on the Danube after the European Union mandated the safety checks in response to Japan’s Fukushima disaster in March 2011.
"The organisation for emergency planning, the resources of the plant to act in emergency conditions, as well as the current operational and technical measures confirm Kozloduy’s readiness to manage serious breakdowns," the report said.
The Fukushima Daiichi plant, 240 km (150 miles) northeast of Tokyo, was wrecked by an earthquake and tsunami that knocked out reactor cooling systems, causing meltdowns of nuclear fuel rods.
Bulgaria has closed four older reactors at its plant in Kozloduy in the past several years under its treaty with the bloc and because of safety concerns raised by Brussels.
Economy and Energy Minister Traicho Traikov said on Thursday that Bulgaria may consider building new units in Kozloduy, which already has the necessary infrastructure and trained staff.
"The idea for a new reactor or reactors at Kozloduy’s site is the most logical thing," Traikov told state broadcaster BNT, adding this would be much cheaper than construction of a new plant from scratch.
Sofia is yet to decide whether to build a new 2,000 megawatt nuclear facility at Belene on the Danube. It has contracted Russia’s Atomstroyexport for the construction, but the project has stalled over price, safety and funding concerns.
