As individuals we often make choices that reflect how sustainable or green we want to be. Whether its buying local produce or choosing to subscribe to ‘green power’ from our power suppliers, we have choices.
Its quite confronting when a sovereign nation does not have the same freedom of choice, at least when it comes to energy sources.
Forced to Close
Kozloduy Nuclear Facility
When Bulgaria ascended to the European Union (EU) in 2007, 2 of its 4 Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) in Kozloduy, the country’s only operational nuclear power complex, were forced to cease operation due to Safety Concerns. This left the country with only 2 NPPs generating 2,000 Megawatts of electricity or 40% of the country’s electricity. A situation it did not have a choice in.
The EU did compensate the Bulgarian Government with funds of €500m but many in the country feel that this was grossly inadequate and would rather have the 2 NPPs back online. Nuclear power is not seen as a threat in Bulgaria but as a solution, and to many, the only solution. Kiril Nikolov, Deputy Director of Kozloduy, puts it bluntly, “Only nuclear power can provide the sheer amount of energy which mankind needs”
The Russian Option I
Inside Kozloduy, Source: BBC
This attitude has led Bulgaria to pursue its Nuclear Power strategy relentlessly, even in the face of one glaring problem. The country still has not developed a solution to deal with the vast quantities of Toxic Nuclear Waste generated from its plants. Until recently, the 2 remaining NPPs in Kozloduy were choking on their own waste and on the verge of shutting down.
Faced with desperation, Bulgaria again had no choice. It resumed a contract to transport its Nuclear Waste to Russia for processing. Russia’s high price coupled with Ukraine enforcing a substantial transit fee has kept other Eastern Europeans, like the Czechs, from considering this option and instead electing to develop solutions at home.
Bulgaria is also keenly aware that the contract with Russia also states that one-day, all that Nuclear Waste will be re-imported into Bulgaria for storage, but it has no choice.
Cleantech
Or does it?
Wind Farm in Kaliakra, Bulgaria
In the last 2 years there has been a flurry of interest to build Wind Farms to generate electricity throughout Bulgaria and especially along its Black Sea coast. GE last week announced plans to build a $1 billion Wind Farm that will generate 500 Megawatts of Electricity.
This plant alone will generate 7 times more electricity that is currently being produced by Wind Power in Bulgaria, a paltry 70 Megawatts or 1% of the country’s electricity needs.
GE is not alone either, with AES (United States), EVN (Austria) and Alpiq (Switzerland) also announcing plans to build Wind Farms in the country.
With this much foreign investment in Wind Farms, could Bulgarians finally be free of their reliance on Nuclear Power? After all, Bulgaria does have an obligation to an EU 2020 objective of 16% reliance on Renewable Energies.
The Russian Option II
Nuclear Plant Building Site, Belene. Source: BBC
In January 2008, Bulgaria’s government signed a contract with a subsidiary of Russia’s Gazprom to build… a $5.8 billion Nuclear Power Plant. A few years and 2000 Russian experts later, Bulgaria will play host to the 1st Russian Built Nuclear Facility in the European Union. A situation that makes Brussels very nervous, and not only because it is being built in Belene, a region extremely prone to severe earthquakes.
The Freedom to Choose?
In the years to come, Bulgarians will finally have a choice as Wind Power presents itself as a viable alternative to Nuclear Power. And if Bulgarian consumers do choose Wind Power, there will still be plenty of takers for Russian Bulgarian Nuclear Energy in the Region. Now if only the region would be as open to accepting Bulgarian Nuclear Waste when Russia ‘returns’ it.
Links:
Nuclear Dilemma in Bulgaria: BBC 1, BBC 2
GE Wind Farm in Bulgaria: Reuters, Greener Ideal
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