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In a significant move reflecting geopolitical dynamics and energy needs, the Bulgarian parliament has extended the deadline for government negotiations on the sale of two surplus Russian nuclear reactors to Ukraine. Initially acquired for the now-abandoned Belene nuclear power project, these reactors have remained idle for over six years. With ongoing conflict in Ukraine influencing the urgency of the deal, Bulgaria seeks to finalize the sale for at least €600 million, bolstered by potential EU funding, underscoring the critical intersection of energy security and international relations in Eastern Europe.
The Bulgarian parliament has decided to extend by six months the deadline for the government to negotiate the sale of two Russian nuclear reactors and related equipment to Ukraine.
The Sofia authorities received the reactors from Russia’s Atomstroyexport more than six years ago, but they were already unusable because the country had abandoned the construction of the Belene nuclear power plant.
The reactors are currently stored near Belene and are waiting to be sold. Bulgaria has been negotiating the sale of the equipment with Ukraine for almost two years, and the parliament has obliged the government to conclude the deal for at least €600 million, the same price as the Bulgarian National Power Company paid to Russian nuclear power exporters.
Experts from Energoatom, the Ukrainian nuclear power plant operator, have arrived in Bulgaria to inspect the equipment at the Belene nuclear power plant. However, the decision to sell the reactors was influenced by the war in Ukraine.
Earlier this year, the European Commission acknowledged that a possible deal on the reactors could be financed by the EU aid to Ukraine.
The deal between Bulgaria and Ukraine is unique because Bulgaria is the only country that has the two Russian reactors it does not need, and Ukraine is the only country that could benefit from them.
