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Bulgarian PM considers Belene project’s high price key reason for giving it up

Prime Minister Boiko Borissov said the main reason for giving up the Belene project was its high price and the environmental climate

Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

SOFIA, March 28 (Itar-Tass) — Prime Minister Boiko Borissov said the main reason for giving up the Belene project was its high price and the environmental climate.

After a session of the economic commission on Wednesday, Borissov said Bulgaria would not be able to cover expenses for building the Belene nuclear power plant.

“At the session of the ministerial council we’ve decided to withdraw from the Belene nuclear power plant project by paying for the first reactor. The plant will be finally built by October. We should pay for it at least 140 million euros. Energy Minister Delian Dobrev has been instructed to prepare the assembling of the reactor as the 7th unit of the Kozloduy nuclear power plant,” Borissov stressed.

The prime minister named the high price as one of the main reasons for giving up the project. “This nuclear power plant will cost six billion euros for us by taking into account the rate of interest within 10-12 percent. Thus, for six years we should pay at least 10 billion euros. We have no chances to cover all expenses on this project,” he said.

At the same time, Borissov added, “We take into account the danger of nuclear energy. If an earthquake occurs and if it has the similar consequences like as at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan last year, Bulgaria will vanish from the surface of the globe.”

“On Friday, Energy Minister Delian Dobrev will hold talks in Moscow in order to settle all disputes on this issue with Russian colleagues,” the Bulgarian prime minister pointed out.

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