Dispute within the ruling majority over the construction of units 7 and 8 of Kozloduy NPP

An extraordinary item in the sitting of the Parliament on February 22 regarding the construction of the 7th and 8th units of Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant triggered more scandals in the ruling majority. The item did not enter the agenda because “We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria” voted against it, and this caused new tensions between the power sharing partners.

"Hyundai" fears unfair competition in construction of Kozloduy NPP units 7 and 8

At the beginning of today's plenary sitting, energy committee chairman Delyan Dobrev proposed an extraordinary item to be included in the agenda.

"Yesterday there was a joint meeting of the Energy and Environment Committees at which we examined two draft decisions related to the construction of new power at Kozloduy NPP. I suggest, Mr Speaker, that you recognise these two decisions and make them the first item on today's agenda," Delyan Dobrev proposed.

Of the 214 MPs who voted, 102 were in favour, 61 against and 51 abstained. The refusal of WCC-DB to support the proposal angered GERB leader Boyko Borissov and MRF group chairman Delyan Peevski.

"Now I am disappointed with my colleagues of WCC-DB, because they are ruining the construction of the nuclear power plant. They voted against, which is not a good sign," Borissov said.

"Something unheard of also happened in the Chamber, even for the prominent Euro-Atlanticists WCC-DB, who are currently thwarting the Westinghouse project for a nuclear power plant because of Svilen Spasov - a State Security agent personally appointed by them to the board of this company. Do your research on what is happening. This is scandalous," Peevski said.

WCC-DB said they were not lobbying for anyone, but their proposal was aimed at competition and achieving a lower price.

"We have to explain what the procedure is. What was proposed by GERB and MRF was to choose one specific company with which to start talks, because at the moment it is a question of considering a draft decision on which company to start talks to form a consortium. It is not a question of selection. That choice, once they enter into those negotiations, will be discussed again in the Parliament. But at the moment we see that one decision is for a single company to lead the talks with Westinghouse, and we have proposed that there should be at least 2. This creates real competition between the two firms. We expect that this will achieve a better price for the future new capacity at Kozloduy NPP."

The opposition suspects selfish aims in the government.

"At the moment, the development of nuclear energy is not on the agenda of the ruling majority. We are talking about some kind of corrupt scheme, which we have no way of proving, no way of knowing, but we cannot help but doubt, given what happened in the last hours of yesterday's working day and the first hours of this working day," said Iskra Mihaylova of "Vazrazhdane".

"This is wild lobbying by incompetent greedy and thieving people from WCC-DB and GERB. It is not normal. They are neither nuclear power engineers, nor nuclear physics specialists to make decisions on which technology should be, which contractors should be," said Borislav Gutsanov, BSP for Bulgaria.

"These people gathered only for posts, money and power and to dismantle the state. They are starting to air their dirty laundry. The mafia is eating itself. The government is absolutely abnormal and logical assemblage from the beginning. Hristo Ivanov, who stood in the boat in front of Dogan's properties, turned out to be sitting in Delyan Peevski's lap to negotiate who will take the the post of the chief prosecutor. We have hardly seen such a moral fall and political hypocrisy in the years of transition. WCC-DB who were going to fight the mafia gave it a hug and offered 50% of the state. A betrayal to all the people who believed them," said BSP leader Kornelia Ninova.

5 companies were admitted to the tender for the builder- 2 Chinese, 2 American and one Korean. Only Hyundai remained in the final before WCC-DB’s proposal for a new candidate was tabled yesterday. According to estimates, nearly $14 billion will be spent to build the two new units at Kozloduy NPP and the price of electricity should be below 127 BGN per megawatt hour.