WE SACRIFICE ІІІ REACTOR OF NPP, BUT SAVE ІV
In this way we will avoid a sudden increase in the price of electricity

By Iordan Iordanov

More of the Bulgarian state institutions do not pay enough attention the opinion of nuclear experts during the process of negotiations of Bulgaria on the Chapter Power Industry.
I express my opinion in the very beginning that although half of my life has passed on the territory of Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) “Kozloduy”, I support strongly Bulgaria’s accession in the EU in 2007 even if the only price for that is to close down all small reactors.
However, there are some discrepancies in the process of negotiations, which impress us unfavorably. One of them is the discrepancy of the standpoints and opinions of the official politicians in Europe and the specialists that has made the partnership inspection.
The opinion stated by the latter that reactors ІІІ and ІV are safe, does not correspond with the standpoint of politicians and leads to logical doubts in the activities of the latter, particularly the recently expressed stand that it is not Europe, but us, who want to close down both reactors.
The possible way out of this situation is as follows: to discuss a variant for closing down reactor ІІІ upon the accession of Bulgaria in the EU, and reactor ІV will continue its operation until 2011.
There are a lot of arguments supporting this stand. The safety of the closed down reactors is as important as the safety of workers. They contain worked-off nuclear fuel for a term of at least 5-6 years following their closing down. They are real nuclear equipment, which may be dangerous, and they require the same means, staff and costs, as well as those reactors in operation. If reactor ІV continues to operate until 2011, it will incinerate completely the fuel of the remaining ones, with which safety will increase. Only in this way maximum depth of incineration of the remaining nuclear fuel will be achieved. By burning uranium 5 in the worked off nuclear fuel, which remains on the territory of Bulgaria, the said fuel will be a lot safer.
While being in operation, reactor ІV will generate the necessary incomes for the current servicing of the closed down first, second and third reactors.
At the moment about BGN 550 million have been raised for the safe closing down of the reactors. This sum is extremely insufficient and the right thing is Bulgaria as a future member of the EU not to burden the European taxpayer with costs for closing down two additional reactors. If we close flexibly first reactor ІІІ, and then reactor ІV, we will be proud to say that we alone have provided the funds for closing down the reactors, as well as for the construction of a new NPP.
The economic effect will have one more dimension – the import of fuel will be reduced, since we have paid for such fuel in advance.
Another related to nuclear safety serious issue, which is not paid the sufficient attention, is what to do with the worked off nuclear fuel, whether it has to be stored in the country or abroad.
At the moment “the wet depot” on the territory of NPP “Kozloduy” is completely full with 5 000 cassettes of worked off nuclear fuel.
We want to build a new “dry depot” as well with capacity of 5 000 cassettes of all the closed down reactors, for which we will have to pay $US 90 million. In order to transport the worked off nuclear fuel in Russia, we will need about $US 250-300 million.
From the point of view of safety transporting the fuel in Russia is the better decision. And with the help of the resources of the funds earned by the last operating small reactor, the whole worked off fuel has to be transported in Russia.
The proposal for prolonging the period of service of reactor ІV until 2011 will have a social effect as well. If the incomes for its operation are used only for the safe closing down of reactors І, ІІ and ІІІ and the transportation of the worked off nuclear fuel in Russia, no increase in the price of electricity will be imperative in the near future, since otherwise these costs will be estimated in the price of electricity produced by reactors V and VІ.

The author was the former head of NPP “Kozloduy”, and presently is the mayor of Vitosha municipality.