Is There Life for the Belene Nuclear Power Plant? Bogomil Manchev: “The project was halted for political reasons, but the moment for a restart has come.”

After Prime Minister Rumen Radev proposed that Bulgaria resume the construction of the plant with European financing and participation from Ukraine, the Belene NPP project once again became a central topic in the energy debate. The idea envisions that our country will build the plant, and Ukraine will receive electricity through Romania.

In the program “ReVision,” the Chairman of the Management Board of “Bulatom,” Bogomil Manchev, commented on the real possibilities for the project to be restarted, as well as why it has been halted so far and what this means for the future of Bulgarian energy.

Manchev recalls that Bulgaria has already invested significant funds in the project. The country has paid €700 million for equipment, which still remains unused. The equipment is for third‑generation reactors, which makes it modern and compatible with contemporary safety standards, he added.

Ukraine has shown interest in purchasing the reactors for the Khmelnytskyi NPP, but Manchev explains that this is technically impossible. According to him, the reasons are several:
– The Ukrainian site is designed for second‑generation reactors.
– Third‑generation reactors have four safety systems, while the building there has space for three.
– The steam generators differ in design and size.
– Under wartime conditions, the reactors cannot be transported.

According to Manchev, Bulgaria has had real chances to implement the Belene NPP. There were three strategic investors: Russia’s “Rosatom,” South Korea’s Hydro Nuclear, and China’s CNNC. All three companies were technically capable of completing the plant, but the state did not conduct a tender, for political reasons.
“The project has been halted repeatedly for political reasons, not because it cannot be implemented,” Manchev says.

Why does Bulgaria need two nuclear power plants? – On this question, Manchev is categorical: our country needs four new nuclear units in the next 25 years — two in Kozloduy and two in Belene. According to him, the reasons for this are:Unit 5 will be shut down in 2047; Unit 6 — in 2051; Coal‑fired power plants will gradually be phased out; Industry and the economy require stable baseload capacity.

Manchev emphasized that the European nuclear renaissance is an opportunity for Bulgaria. The European Union already supports nuclear energy and has lifted restrictions on financing nuclear power plants. The EU plans €205 billion for new reactors and €36 billion for extending the life of existing ones.

According to him, this opens a real opportunity for European financing of the Belene NPP, especially if the project is implemented jointly with Ukraine and includes a long‑term electricity purchase agreement.

Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are not a solution for Bulgaria, because according to Manchev they are suitable for remote regions and industrial sites, their investment cost is too high, and they cannot replace the large‑scale capacity needed by industry.

To the question: Why is Europe returning to nuclear energy? He explains that renewable energy sources cannot provide the necessary baseload capacity.

In conclusion, according to Bogomil Manchev, it could be said that the Belene NPP is a technically completely possible project that was blocked solely because of political decisions. Europe already supports nuclear energy, and Bulgaria has a real need for new capacities. The two projects, units 7 and 8 of the Kozloduy NPP and units 1 and 2 of the Belene NPP, do not contradict each other – both plants are needed by Bulgaria and must be built.

According to Bogomil Manchev, the moment to restart the Belene NPP project has come — and our country must act strategically if it wants to secure its energy future.

You can see the entire interview in the video below.