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Rosatom ready for international cooperation in Belene NPP project

The Rosatom CEO stressed that "this is an important project for us"

© AP Photo/Valentina Petrova

KAZAN, August 22. /TASS/. The construction project of the Belene nuclear power plant (NPP) in Bulgaria can be implemented with international cooperation, Chief Executive Officer of the Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom Alexei Likhachev told reporters on Thursday on the sidelines of WorldSkills 2019.

"This is an important project for us; we believe it is significant for Rosatom," the top manager said. Rosatom appreciates openness and non-bias demonstrated by the Bulgarian government when organizing tender procedures, Likhachev said.

The NPP construction project can be implemented with international cooperation at the same time. "We understand certain international cooperation should be in place. That is, we welcome it as a large, strong, and international project," Likhachev noted. Rosatom is "flexible" and different options are possible, he added.

Rosatom submitted a bid in the Belene NPP construction project in Bulgaria, the Russian state-owned nuclear corporation reported on Monday.

The procedure on selection of the strategic investor for the Belene NPP project was posted on May 22, 2019 in the official journal of the European Union. The procedure will be closed in twelve months from the publication date.

In 2006, Atomstroyexport (an affiliate of the Russian nuclear corporation Rosatom) won an international tender for the construction of two power units at the Belene plant. The required equipment was delivered to the site, but in 2009 the project was halted. In March 2012, Sofia abandoned plans to build a two-unit Belene nuclear power plant with capacity of 2 GW. The government of Bulgaria, which at that time was headed by current Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, announced the termination of the project.

On May 12, 2018, Borisov said that the country intends to resume the construction of the nuclear power plant. The tender for NPP construction was announced in 2019.

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