Bulgaria’s nuclear energy – a national priority and Geopolitics

The Bulgarian nuclear program has a long and successful history. It includes activities related to all elements of the life cycle of nuclear power plants. In the last 40 years, the Kozloduy NPP has provided more than a third of the country’s total electricity production in a reliable and highly efficient manner, with minimal impact on climate and the environment. Preserving the key importance of nuclear energy in our country is necessary for the security and sovereignty of the country today and in the future. Such a policy is in line with policies in the EU: the plans of more than half of the member states include nuclear energy on a par with renewable energy to achieve the goal of decarbonization by 2050. Such a policy is also in line with the expectations of the majority of Bulgarian society: all representative sociological surveys and significant public initiatives in recent decades show serious support for the development of nuclear energy in the country. Only through the construction of new nuclear capacities in our country can stable production of low-carbon basic electricity be ensured, facilitating the parallel implementation of projects related to the decarbonization of the economy – such as the implementation of an increasingly significant share of unmanaged renewable energy sources and the decommissioning of capacities with significant emissions of greenhouse gases.

“When and with whom? where and how? and for how much?” should a new NPP be built is a complex set of questions requiring expert technical-economic analysis. Such a decision, which will determine the structure of the energy sector – and hence the competitiveness of the Bulgarian economy – for decades to come, should be properly argued and widely discussed and validated. The current format aims to contribute to the public debate on the topic through a discussion with leading Bulgarian and foreign experts.
The discussion will address issues such as:

• What is the place of nuclear energy in ensuring Bulgaria’s energy security, today and in the long term?
• Decarbonization of the economy, ensuring the regional deficit of affordable electricity, supporting European countries “newly joining” the nuclear club – how does nuclear energy create strategic opportunities for Bulgaria through these aspects?
• Choosing a technology partner – what is the right balance between technology and geopolitics?

Discussion Moderators:

• Yanko Yanev (NKMI, VINCC)
• Slavcho Neikov (Institute of Energy Management)

Interlocutors:

• Representatives of national and international organizations related to nuclear energy: Bogomil Manchev (BULATOM), King Lee (WNA), Abel Gonzalez (UNSCEAR)
• Representatives of the academic community: Holger Rogner (International Institute for Applied System Analysis), Attila Assodi (Budapest University), Atanas Semov (SU)