Bulgarian cabinet approves plan for new unit at Kozloduy

The Bulgarian Council of Ministers, at a meeting on 20 January, approved plans presented by the Minister of Energy to construct a seventh unit at the Kozloduy nuclear power plant using Russian-supplied equipment purchased for the Belene project. The minister noted discussions have been held with Westinghouse of the USA to construct the unit. During …

US grant made for Romanian SMR siting assessment

Romanian national nuclear company Societatea Nationala Nuclearelectrica (SNN) has been awarded a non-refundable grant of USD1.28 million by the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) for use in the identification of potential sites in Romania to host small modular reactors. The USTDA is an independent federal government agency focused on connecting US companies with export …

Bulgaria becomes the Nuclear Energy Agency’s 34th member

On 1 January 2021, Bulgaria became the newest member of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) and its Data Bank. “Bulgaria’s membership will enrich the NEA’s work in areas such as nuclear safety and regulation, decommissioning and radioactive waste management,” said OECD Secretary‑General Angel Gurría. “The accession of Bulgaria to the Agency also underlines the …

Extending nuclear cooperation to the Middle East

International treaties governing nuclear security serve as frameworks based on shared experience, but they are not a substitute for practical and ongoing cooperation. This was one of the messages from delegates at NP1 – The Nuclear Power Conference Israel – Threats, Challenges, Opportunities. The 10 November event took place amid growing concern about Iran’s move away …

Hydrogen policies must include nuclear, says NNWI

Nuclear-produced hydrogen, using electrolyser technology, could have a “sizeable contribution” to make in the development of the hydrogen economy, according to a new report from the New Nuclear Watch Institute (NNWI) think-tank. However, it says the realisation of those benefits will depend on the adoption of technology-neutral policies, which do not discriminate against nuclear power. …