Bulgaria and the Czech Republic will cooperate in the operation of nuclear facilities

Bulgaria's fifty-year experience in operating nuclear facilities is an excellent prerequisite for deepening the energy cooperation between our country and the Czech Republic. In this area, the two countries face similar challenges – building new capacities and diversifying nuclear fuel. The Minister of Energy Vladimir Malinov and the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to our country H.E. Miroslav Toman.

Minister Malinov and Ambassador Toman emphasized that the two countries share the same vision of the importance of nuclear energy for energy security and the achievement of carbon neutrality by 2050. As is known, six nuclear reactors are operating in the Czech Republic - four at Dukovany NPP and two - at the Temelin NPP. They provide about 1/3 of the total electricity production in the country.

"Nuclear energy has a serious role for national, regional and European energy security. It is a key element for the implementation of the ambitious European goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and developing climate-neutral energy," emphasized Minister Malinov. He introduced his guest to the work on the construction of new nuclear units at the site of the Kozloduy NPP, as well as to the real progress achieved by the government in the process of nuclear fuel diversification. Bulgaria has successfully completed a key stage of the nuclear fuel diversification program for the Kozloduy NPP, Minister Malinov informed. The first Westinghouse fuel cartridges were loaded during the planned annual overhaul of unit five in May of this year.