News

On 25 and 26 September 2013 a scheduled working visit by representatives of the European Commission (EC) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) was held to review the current status of the projects related to the process of decommissioning of shut down of nuclear power units in the KNPP.

EBRD administers funds that are allocated by the International Fund Kozloduy as a grant to support the decommissioning activities. State Enterprise Radioactive Waste (SERAW) is the operator of the process and works closely with the EBRD on the projects funded by European Contributors. Conducted visit is a part of an established practice of joint meetings twice per year at the site of the 440 – MW units.

During the working meeting the staff of the SERAW Project Management Unit discussed with Simon Murphy – Project Manager at the European Commission, and with Valentine Seider from EBRD, the progress of ongoing activities, immediate objectives were formulated and priorities in project management were discussed. During the work visit the main issues related to decommissioning projects were reviewed, which will be presented at the upcoming Assembly of Contributors of International Fund Kozloduy on November 15, 2013.

The representatives of the European Union had direct observations of dismantling activities of the equipment in the Turbine hall of the units 1-2, and the construction of ancillary facilities for the upcoming decommissioning. In the course of this meeting a visit to the site of the future repository for low and intermediate level radioactive waste (NDF) was included for the first time, which will also be built with funds from the International Fund Kozloduy. The project is at a very advanced stage and operating systems for continuous preoperational monitoring have already been built at the “Radiana” site.

“I am satisfied with the progress of the process of dismantling during the period which I observe – from June last year, when I first entered the Turbine hall. I saw a real progress on activities related to the dismantling of non-radioactive equipment. We found many positive organizational changes that prove good preparation of SERAW for the moment when a real decommissioning shall start. All teams good understand their roles.”, said Simon Murphy at the end of the work visit.

Meanwhile, on 25th of September, a final meeting of the working group from SERAW and audit team was held, which estimated decommissioning activities in terms of EBRD policy on social issues and environment. Peter Moore – Senior Environmental Expert from EBRD, expressed his satisfaction with the high level of compliance found in the work of SERAW in fulfilling the criteria of the Bank in the aspect of social responsibility and the environmental responsibility.

“We are very grateful to the participants in the working group with which we have discussed and clarified the European standards that EBRD requires from all its partners. We found that they are set largely in the Bulgarian legislation and SERAW follows them in all its activities. I was impressed by the openness of the representatives of the enterprise with whom we have worked on their desire to ascertain together the differences in the standards – where they exist and to reach a common position what kind of improvements can be made to cover all the criteria of the EBRD regarding the social issues and the environment. “, said Peter Moore at the end of the meeting.