CHINESE BANK SHOWS INTEREST IN CONSTRUCTING BELENE NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

The Industrial Commercial Bank of China shows interest in financing of a commercial project for the construction of Belene Nuclear Power Plant, Bulgarian government’s press office said on 14th of December.

At a meeting in the Council of Ministers, outgoing Prime Minister Boyko Borissov outlined the conditions of the Bulgarian government for the construction of Belene nuclear plant: implementation of the project on market principle, without investments from the state and without contracts for long-term purchase of energy.

The Chinese representatives confirmed readiness to finance the project under those terms and conditions.

The negotiations for the new nuclear plant became possible after the Bulgarian state-owned National Electricity Company (NEC) paid 601 million euro in arbitration damages to the Russian Atomstroyexport over the canceled Belene nuclear project. The Russian nuclear company dropped the daily penalty interest because NEC paid the principal, as agreed, by 15th of December.