The possible construction of a new generating unit at the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant is not an alternative to the Belene N-plant project or to the idea for reopening Unit 3 and 4 of Kozloduy, according to Kozloduy CEO Ivan Genov. He was speaking to the press during an annual meeting of this N-plant management with the press. "The Unit 7 project is not exotic and there are feasibility studies for it," he said.

According to Genov's deputy Kiril Nikolov, studies have proven the construction of a new generating unit at Kozloduy to be cheaper than the construction of a new power plant because all adjacent infrastructure is already there at Kozloduy.

The Kozloduy management is supportive of the construction of an N-plant at Belene, said Genov. He noted the huge demand for electricity in Bulgaria and the region, saying that each additional generating capacity turns this country into a key factor on the energy market.

Genov said that there are plans to train about 70 people from the Kozloduy NPP to operate the new generating units at Belene since only Kozloduy's training centre is licensed to provide such training in Bulgaria.

The Kozloduy CEO said that the possible reopening of power units 3 and 4 of the plant, which he said produce cheap electricity and are totally safe, would help the implementation of both the Belene project and the possible future construction of a seventh reactor at Kozloduy.

Unit 3 and 4 were shut down for early decommissioning on December 31, 2006, in line with commitments Bulgaria had made to the European Union. Bulgaria has launched a campaign to rally international support for their reopening.

"We should unite the public opinion in Bulgaria about the need to reopen power units 3 and 4," Genov said. He argued that only the public attitude and pressure could provide the government with the necessary argumentation to raise the issue with the partners in the EU.

Genov stressed that Bulgaria has found itself in a unique situation: on the one hand, there are not sufficient capacities to meet the ever growing demand for electricity in Bulgaria and the region, partly due to the shutdown of the two generating units, and on the other, the reduction of greenhouse gases quotas for Bulgaria by 37 per cent.

Genov warned that if such arguments are not used, "we will be faced with the extinction of the Bulgarian energy industry".