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Ex-minister of energy considers Belene shutdown technical adventure

The former minister considers plans to build the gas turbine power station on the Belene platform the technical adventure

SOFIA, March 29 (Itar-Tass) — The shutdown of the Belene nuclear power plant project and the construction of a gas turbine power station instead of it is a technical adventure, deputy chairman of the Coalition For Bulgaria Petar Dimitrov said at parliamentary debates on Thursday.

The former minister of economy, energy and tourism said, “This decision means a political failure of the Bulgarian government. The Belene nuclear power plant was the most important and strategic project of Bulgaria and became a failure. We had a possibility to finish the project and develop nuclear energy. This proves that we have no political potential and our political scientists are helpless to take decisions.”

The former minister considers plans to build the gas turbine power station on the Belene platform the technical adventure. “Where will be gas produced from for this station? The premier said on Wednesday that gas would not be supplied to Bulgaria via Turkey. To this end, the country’s energy dependence will increase,” the former minister stressed.

Dimitrov told Itar-Tass: “It will be impossible to build the gas power station on the Belene platform because there are no infrastructure possibilities for gas supplies.”

A member of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, Rumen Petkov, said the Belene project is socially significant. In his words, due to the shutdown of the Belene plant from 3,000 to 5,000 people lost job. “By taking this decision you provoke an economic and social crisis in Bulgaria and give up the most effective project that Bulgaria will be able to carry out,” Petkov pointed out.

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