News

Information from State Enterprise Radioactive Waste in respect of the news, that the European Parliament Petition Committee by its decision of 19th February 2020, terminated the monitoring on construction of the National Disposal Facility for long term storage of low- and intermediate- level radioactive waste (NDF), justified by the European Committee’s statement, that the facility is being constructed in compliance with legal requirements.

The petition was declared on 30th July 2019, by a group of Bulgarian and Romanian citizens and non-governmental organisations, with a call for cessation of the funding and construction of the NDF. The document was addressed to the Prime Ministers of the contributor countries of the Kozloduy International Decommissioning Support Fund*.

SERAW is constructing the National Disposal Facility for storage of radioactive waste in accordance with the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and Safety of Radioactive Waste Management, Directive 2011/70/ЕВРАТОМ of 19th July 2011 for establishing a Community framework for responsible and safe management of the spent fuel and radioactive waste; the legal requirements of the Bulgarian legislation; the Safety standards of the International Atomic Energy Agency; the Strategy for Spent fuel and Radioactive Waste Management up to 2030; and general good practice in developed European countries.

After its construction, the NDF of the Radiana Site will be intended for the disposal of low- and intermediate- level radioactive waste, a 2a Category waste in accordance with the Regulation on Safety Management of Radioactive Waste.

Phase I of NDF, which is financed by the KIDSF, is intended for disposal of low- and intermediate- level radioactive waste, generated by the decommissioning of KNPP Units 1-4.

The construction of NDF is assigned to SERAW with the Decision of the Council of Ministers No.683/25.07.2005. With the Decision of the Council of Ministers No.898/8.12.2011 NDF is classified as a national site, and a site of national importance. With the Decree of the Council of Ministers No.3/10.01.2013 the site is declared as strategic with importance for national security.

In the Environmental Impact Assessment Report, the absence of impact of the National Disposal Facility on the population and environment through the disposal of low- and intermediate- level active waste of category 2a has been convincingly demonstrated and according to the conclusions of experts, no radiation effects are expected.

The safety of the National Disposal Facility has been proven in front of the Bulgarian Nuclear Regulatory Agency (BNRA) in the Preliminary Safety Assessment, which is part of the approval procedure for the chosen site, as in the Intermediate Safety Analysis Report, which is part of the approval procedure of the Technical Design. The Radiana Site and Technical Design of the National Disposal Facility were approved with an order by the Chairman of the Bulgarian Nuclear Regulatory Agency. BNRA has issued a construction permit for construction of the NDF. The Ministry of Regional Development and Public Works has approved the Technical Design and issued a construction permit.

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*The Kozloduy International Decommissioning Support Fund (KIDSF)

In November 1999, the Bulgarian Government and the European Commission signed a Memorandum of understanding in which the Bulgarian Government undertook a firm commitment to close and decommission Units 1 – 4 of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). In June 2000, the Kozloduy International Decommissioning Support Fund (KIDSF) was established, administered by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), in order to support the decommissioning activities and to mitigate the negative consequences of the units’ early closure.

The Kozloduy International Decommissioning Support Fund is supported by the European Union. The other contributors are Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Greece, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

The KIDSF is managed by the Assembly of Contributors, which provides the strategic management. The EBRD provides technical, project management, financial, legal and administrative services. The funding for the projects is contingent upon the approval of the Assembly of Contributors, should Bulgaria comply with its decommissioning obligations. The Assembly meets twice a year.