Deputies: Negotiations for the sale of Belene NPP equipment continue

The deputies rejected a draft decision to suspend negotiations and actions on the sale of equipment with a long production cycle, owned by "National Electric Company" EAD, intended for the "Belene" NPP project. The draft decision submitted by "BSP for Bulgaria" was voted with 66 votes "for", 110 - "against" and 14 - "abstentions", reported BTA.

The decision proposed canceling the negotiations assigned to the Minister of Energy with the Minister of Energy of Ukraine for the sale of equipment intended for the Belene NPP, according to a decision of the National Assembly of July 6, 2023.

The proposal to suspend the negotiations and actions on the sale of the equipment with a long production cycle until a subsequent explicit decision of the National Assembly, taken after assessing the possibility of the equipment being used for the needs and purposes of the Kozloduy NPP, was also rejected.

In the course of the discussion, Dragomir Stoynev, who defended the draft decision and presented it on behalf of the petitioner, reminded the deputies that the estimated period of operation of the fifth unit of the Kozloduy NPP is 2047, and for the sixth unit - 2049. The repeated failures of the third steam generator of unit six require a serious analysis of the causes and the evaluation of the possibilities of replacement, if this becomes necessary in the coming years, to ensure long-term operation. International experience shows that extending the life of second-generation reactors is economically beneficial for the state, but requires serious analysis, as required by the standards of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Stoinev pointed out.

It also refers to the correspondence between Kozloduy NPP and the Ministry of Energy over the years in connection with the steam generator of unit six. Almost every year, the sixth unit is stopped two or three times, Stoynev said, and insisted that the equipment for the Belene NPP be used for the sixth unit of the Kozloduy NPP - as whether this is possible or not, will be assessed by a Commission of international experts to say whether steam generators are compatible. According to him, the sale of this equipment to Ukraine can and should be stopped and the national interest protected.

Ivelin Parvanov from "Vazrazhdane" also supported the proposed draft decision and insisted that the only right thing that can be done is to cancel the one of the National Assembly on the sale of the equipment.

People's representative Krasimira Katincharova, who is not a member of the parliamentary group, raised the issue of their proposed draft decision on the construction of the Belene NPP with the support of Ukraine. This caused a retort from Tsoncho Ganev from "Vazrazhdane", who accused Katincharova of wanting to give Belene to Ukraine. You allow mentally unbalanced people to roam around here, he addressed the moderator of the meeting, Rositsa Kirova.

Due to the non-admission of their draft decision in the plenary hall, Krasimira Katincharova demanded the resignation of Delyan Dobrev, chairman of the Energy Commission. He explained that he allowed this draft decision to be voted on, but the committee rejected it and there is no way it will enter the hall. There was an exchange of personal explanations. Delyan Dobrev presented the booklet with the Rules for the organization and activities of the National Assembly to the independent deputy. The independent MP received the same gift from the MP from "There is such a people" Pavela Mitova.

It doesn't matter how much you mock me. You violate the rules and use them to your advantage, said Krasimira Katincharova in a personal explanation.