August 10 (SeeNews) - The Bulgarian government said it approved the provision of a derogation from EU regulations to allow the operator of the country's sole nuclear power plant (NPP) Kozloduy to receive deliveries from Russian suppliers so as to carry out the planned annual maintenance of its Unit 6.
The derogation applies to the supply of intra-reactor detector blocks and electric motors and electric heating and valve equipment, spare parts and components, the government said in a press release after a regular session on Wednesday.
The cabinet approved the decision at the suggestion of the energy ministry and after receiving a formal letter from the plant operator, it said.
The exemption is granted from an EU-wide regulation adopted in 2014 and imposing certain sanctions on Russia as a result of its earlier annexation of Crimea. This regulation allows individual EU member states to grant exceptions from the sanctions in relation to the use, maintenance and disposal of nuclear fuel and ensuring the safety of nuclear facilities for civil use.
Kozloduy NPP has two Soviet-made VVER units of 1,000 MW each.
In March, the former caretaker government unveiled plans to seek a derogation allowing the import of spare parts, services and materials for which Bulgaria has not yet found alternative suppliers.
Kozloduy's other unit, Unit 5, was reconnected to the grid in June after undergoing planned annual maintenance. In July, Kozloduy applied for a licence to use fresh nuclear fuel for Unit 5 to be produced and delivered under a contract with US company Westinghouse Electric. Last month, Bulgaria's nuclear energy regulator halted the licensing process for lack of some of the compulsory documentation and gave the plant operator until October 15 to provide it.
With regard to Unit 6, in early January Kozloduy agreed to receive fresh nuclear fuel for it from French state-backed company Framatome. In 2021, Framatome signed a cooperation agreement with Russian state company Rosatom to explore further cooperation in nuclear fuel fabrication.
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