Russia is interested in buying all
or part of the share of the Bulgarian government at the planned nuclear
power plant in Bulgaria's Belene.
This has been announced by Russia's Energy Minister, Sergei Shmatko,
as quoted by the RBK Daily, Wednesday, just a day before he is to
arrive to Sofia for talks with his Bulgarian counterpart, Traicho
Traikov, over the Bulgaria-Russia energy projects.
"We are aware of Bulgaria's position that it might want to sell its
51% share. We are interested in such an offer because as investors we
are interested in having control over the expenses," Shmatko said
without specifying how large a share Russia might want to buy from
Bulgaria, and which Russian state-owned companies would do that.
Russia's state-owned company Atomstroyexport has been chosen to
build two 1000 MW reactors at Bulgaria's Belene. The Bulgarian
government is going to own 51% of the plant; the minority owner will be
the German company RWE.
Shmatko also said Wednesday that the issue of how much the
construction of the Belene NPP still hadn't been settled. He said
Russia had estimates that differed from the EUR 10 B cost mentioned
most often by the Bulgarian officials.
Together with the head of the Rossatom company, Sergei Kiriyenko,
Shmatko will meet with Traikov and Bulgaria's Prime Minister, Boyko
Borisov, over the Belene NPP, the South Stream gas pipeline, and the
Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline.
Shmatko has declared that the Bulgarian leadership must understand
that the realization of the three projects would turn the country into
an energy hub for Southern Europe.