balkan insight
04 Nov 2010 / 08:07
Putin to Prod Bulgaria Over Belene Plant
Russia is expected to put pressure on Bulgaria to start the construction of a nuclear power plant at Belene during Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s visit to Sofia, due to start on November 13.
Boryana DzhambazovaSofia
The future of the new 2,000-megawatt power plant will one of the topics dominating energy-centred talks between Putin and his Bulgarian counterpart, Boyko Borisov.
The Kremlin is acutely interested in seeing the project go ahead, as a Russian company, Atomstroyexport, signed in 2006 a preliminary agreement to construct the plant.
A close ally of the Soviet Union during the communist era, Bulgaria remains dependent for fuel on Russian gas and oil.
After Bulgaria’s new government came into office last July, it moved to put the project on hold, reassessing the costs and potential benefits to the country. The project was frozen when several months later a key German investor, RWE, withdrew.
“Putin’s visit is going to increase pressure on Bulgaria to take a decision about Belene’s future,” Ruslan Stefanov, of the Center for the Study of Democracy, a Sofia-based think tank, said.
Even if Sofia renews its commitment to Belene, this will not solve all current problems related to the plant, he added.
“Bulgaria can’t afford to finance this project, nor has it found an investor for it,” Stefanov explained.
For now, ministers appear divided over the future of Belene.
While the Russian news agency ITAR-TASS yesterday quoted Prime Minister Borisov as saying that he “wholeheartedly” supported the project, last week the finance minister, Simeon Dyankov, said the government wouldn’t pay any money or offer state guarantees to implement it.
Putin to Prod Bulgaria Over Belene Plant
Russia is expected to put pressure on Bulgaria to start the construction of a nuclear power plant at Belene during Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s visit to Sofia, due to start on November 13.
Boryana DzhambazovaSofia
The future of the new 2,000-megawatt power plant will one of the topics dominating energy-centred talks between Putin and his Bulgarian counterpart, Boyko Borisov.
The Kremlin is acutely interested in seeing the project go ahead, as a Russian company, Atomstroyexport, signed in 2006 a preliminary agreement to construct the plant.
A close ally of the Soviet Union during the communist era, Bulgaria remains dependent for fuel on Russian gas and oil.
After Bulgaria’s new government came into office last July, it moved to put the project on hold, reassessing the costs and potential benefits to the country. The project was frozen when several months later a key German investor, RWE, withdrew.
“Putin’s visit is going to increase pressure on Bulgaria to take a decision about Belene’s future,” Ruslan Stefanov, of the Center for the Study of Democracy, a Sofia-based think tank, said.
Even if Sofia renews its commitment to Belene, this will not solve all current problems related to the plant, he added.
“Bulgaria can’t afford to finance this project, nor has it found an investor for it,” Stefanov explained.
For now, ministers appear divided over the future of Belene.
While the Russian news agency ITAR-TASS yesterday quoted Prime Minister Borisov as saying that he “wholeheartedly” supported the project, last week the finance minister, Simeon Dyankov, said the government wouldn’t pay any money or offer state guarantees to implement it.
balkan insight
05 Nov 2010 / 11:27
Bulgaria Takes Step Forward on South Stream Pipeline
Bulgaria and Russia have announced a tender for a feasibility study for the construction of the South Stream gas pipeline on Bulgarian territory, after months of uncertainty surrounding the project.
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Sofia News Agency
The start of the tender to select a company to carry out the study was announced Thursday by the press office of the state-owned Bulgarian Energy Holding, BEH. The documentation for participants in the tender will published on Friday.
Bulgaria Takes Step Forward on South Stream Pipeline
Bulgaria and Russia have announced a tender for a feasibility study for the construction of the South Stream gas pipeline on Bulgarian territory, after months of uncertainty surrounding the project.
--
Sofia News Agency
The start of the tender to select a company to carry out the study was announced Thursday by the press office of the state-owned Bulgarian Energy Holding, BEH. The documentation for participants in the tender will published on Friday.
The long-anticipated first specific step towards the realisation of Bulgaria's portion of South Stream, headed by Russian energy giant Gazprom, comes after months of uncertainty about the fate of the project amidst sometimes tense talks between the Borisov Cabinet in Bulgaria and leaders in Moscow.
The tender is in accordance with a recently signed deal between the BEH and Gazprom, which agreed to set up a joint venture, with shares split evenly, for the construction of South Stream on Bulgarian territory.
The joint venture will be signed when Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visits Sofia on November 13 . Putin will also discuss other large-scale energy projects in Bulgaria, including the Belene nuclear power plant and the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline, with Bulgarian officials.
The South Stream gas transit pipeline is expected to be completed by 2015. It is estimated that its construction will cost between €19 billion and €24 billion. The pipeline will transport 63 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually, or 35 per cent of Russia's total annual natural gas export to Europe.
In Bulgaria, the pipe is supposed to split in two, with one pipeline going to Greece and Southern Italy, and another going to Austria and Northern Italy through Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia.The project was initiated by Gazprom and the Italian company Eni, and the French company EdF has also indicated it may join as a shareholder.
The pipeline is seen as a competitor to the EU-sponsored Nabucco project, which seeks to bring non-Russian gas to Europe.
balkan insight
09 Nov 2010 / 10:42
Croatia will not take part in the construction of Bulgaria's Belene nuclear power plant, while Serbia is reportedly asking for a larger stake in the project.
daily.tportal.hr
"We won't participate in that project," said Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor, who met with her Bulgarian counterpart Boyko Borisov on the margins of the Danube Summit in Bucharest on Monday.
"We have our own energy strategy that we are pursuing. We also presented some energy projects recently," Kosor said, adding that the refusal to join the Belene project would not affect Croatia's relations with Bulgaria.
"We will continue developing good friendly relations with Bulgaria whose authorities I thank for their strong support to Croatia's EU membership bid," said Kosor.
The Bulgarian government has called on Croatia and Serbia to join, as shareholders, in a project to build the nuclear power plant Belene on the Danube River that is being led by the Russian firm Atomstroyexport.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Borisov sent official letters to Kosor and Serbian President Boris Tadic last week, inviting their countries to join in the Belene project with shares of 1, 1.5 or 2 per cent.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Borisov sent official letters to Kosor and Serbian President Boris Tadic last week, inviting their countries to join in the Belene project with shares of 1, 1.5 or 2 per cent.
Bulgarian PM Borisov said the participation of Croatia and Serbia in the Belene project would make the project more pragmatic because the project would have a guaranteed market once the power plant was built.
Borisov and Tadic have reportedly already discussed the project and Borisov asked the two leaders to respond to his offer by November 13, when Russian PM Vladimir Putin will visit Sofia to discuss energy issues, including the Belene project.
Meanwhile, Serbian daily Blic reported on Tuesday that the government in Belgrade intends to ask for a larger stake in the project. The country's energy minister, Petar Skundric, said that Serbia is interested in participating, but lamented the short period given for a decision on becoming a stakeholder in the project.
The Belene project has had difficulty getting off the ground since it was launched several years ago.
Atomstroyexport signed in 2006 a preliminary agreement to construct the plant. But after Bulgaria’s new government came into office in July 2009, it moved to put the project on hold, reassessing the costs and potential benefits to the country.
The project was frozen when several months later a key German investor, RWE, withdrew.
The project was frozen when several months later a key German investor, RWE, withdrew.
balkan insight
10 Nov 2010 / 15:15
Skopje Offered Stake in Bulgaria's Belene Nuclear Plant
Bulgaria has approached Macedonia with an offer to participate in the construction of the Belene Nuclear Power Plant, after calling on Serbia and Croatia to join the project last week.
Sofia Press Agency
Bulgaria's Minister of Economy, Energy, and Tourism, Traicho Traikov, announced that he had sent an official offer to Macedonia's Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Pesevski, following Wednesday's regular weekly meeting of the Cabinet."First they have to say if they are interested, and then we can talk numbers," he said."We already know that Croatia is not interested in taking part in the construction of the Belene NPP, and Serbia is interested, so now Macedonia has to make a decision on that offer," Traikov added.Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor on Monday said that her country would not become a shareholder in Belene, while officials in Belgrade have indicated that Serbia is interested in participating, though with a higher share, according to Serbian daily Blic.Bulgarian Prime Minister Borisov sent official letters to Kosor and Serbian President Boris Tadic last week, inviting their countries to join in the Belene project with shares of 1, 1.5 or 2 per cent.
Borisov said the participation of Croatia and Serbia in the Belene project would make it more pragmatic because the plant would have a guaranteed market once construction is completed.
He asked the two leaders to respond to his offer by November 13, when Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will visit Sofia to discuss energy issues, including the Belene project.The Kremlin is acutely interested in seeing the project go ahead, as Russian firm Atomstroyexport signed in 2006 a preliminary agreement to construct the plant.
The project has been stalled since the initial agreement was signed. After Bulgaria’s new government came into office in July 2009, it moved to put the project on hold, reassessing the costs and potential benefits to the country.The project was frozen when several months later a key German investor, RWE, withdrew.
Skopje Offered Stake in Bulgaria's Belene Nuclear Plant
Bulgaria has approached Macedonia with an offer to participate in the construction of the Belene Nuclear Power Plant, after calling on Serbia and Croatia to join the project last week.
Sofia Press Agency
Bulgaria's Minister of Economy, Energy, and Tourism, Traicho Traikov, announced that he had sent an official offer to Macedonia's Deputy Prime Minister Vladimir Pesevski, following Wednesday's regular weekly meeting of the Cabinet."First they have to say if they are interested, and then we can talk numbers," he said."We already know that Croatia is not interested in taking part in the construction of the Belene NPP, and Serbia is interested, so now Macedonia has to make a decision on that offer," Traikov added.Croatian Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor on Monday said that her country would not become a shareholder in Belene, while officials in Belgrade have indicated that Serbia is interested in participating, though with a higher share, according to Serbian daily Blic.Bulgarian Prime Minister Borisov sent official letters to Kosor and Serbian President Boris Tadic last week, inviting their countries to join in the Belene project with shares of 1, 1.5 or 2 per cent.
Borisov said the participation of Croatia and Serbia in the Belene project would make it more pragmatic because the plant would have a guaranteed market once construction is completed.
He asked the two leaders to respond to his offer by November 13, when Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin will visit Sofia to discuss energy issues, including the Belene project.The Kremlin is acutely interested in seeing the project go ahead, as Russian firm Atomstroyexport signed in 2006 a preliminary agreement to construct the plant.
The project has been stalled since the initial agreement was signed. After Bulgaria’s new government came into office in July 2009, it moved to put the project on hold, reassessing the costs and potential benefits to the country.The project was frozen when several months later a key German investor, RWE, withdrew.
balkan insight
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