Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd (AECL) sent one of its top officials to Sofia last week to demonstrate the company had not felt threatened by the corruption letter allegations that cast a shadow on the construction of the second Bulgarian nuclear plant.
UK and Europe regional vice president of AECL, Ala Alizadeh, came to Sofia to meet energy and government representatives and acquaint them with the technical parameters of the Canadian company's offer for Belene.
Any rating of the technologies that can be used by the future nuclear plant at Belene will be premature and biased at this stage, Alizadeh said. He held a news conference in Sofia to provide details about his company's interest in the Belene project and personally denied allegations that Bulgarian government representatives had asked to be paid a bribe in exchange for approving the AECL offer for Belene.
AECL is one of five companies, which have submitted tentative offers for the project. The other four are Skoda of the Czech Republic, US-based Westinghouse, Russia's AtomStroyExport and France's Framatome. They are all united in three consortia in order to provide the financing and the construction works for the plant.
The three consortia bidding to complete the nuclear plant are the following: Skoda, Citibank and Italy's UniCredito; Framatome and AtomStroyExport; and AECL, Italy's Ansaldo Nuclear, Bechtel of the US and Japan's Hitatchi.
The AECL offer will be based on technology that uses heavy water and natural uranium. It is the only one of the prospective contractors intending to use heavy water technology (the CANDU technology). All the other offers are based on a light-water technology.
An environmental impact assessment report unveiled last month, suggests that a light-water reactor is preferable for Belene. According to Alizadeh however, the relative advantages and disadvantages of all possible technologies must be further examined and any comments or ratings at this stage would be premature and biased.
He also said that some of the existing equipment and infrastructure at the Belene site can probably be used by the future contractor, but only after a full assessment because it was built many years ago. He expects that the design has to change to reflect the modern standards.
First launched in 1991, the Belene project was revived by the government on December 19, 2002. Its reopening was officially announced by Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg on May 3 this year. The contractor will be selected from among the five bidders through direct negotiations with each of them.
The project was recently the focus of public attention when an anonymous letter appeared in a Canadian newspaper, alleging that Bulgarian government officials had asked to be paid by the Canadian company to have their offer approved.
Repeating an earlier official AECL statement, Alizadeh said last week that an internal audit revealed nothing to substantiate the letter's allegations. Asked about the findings of an official Canadian investigation into the matter, he said he was not aware of its progress.
Energy Minister Milko Kovachev said he is required to present the investor selection procedure to the government within a month. He will also have to hold negotiations jointly, with Economy Minister Lidya Shouleva and Finance Minister Milen Velchev. As he was unveiling the project on May 3, the Prime Minister mentioned year-end as the target date for the selection of an investor. Kovachev himself hopes that this happens as early as this autumn.
The state will remain the majority stakeholder in Belene nuclear plant, with a holding ranging anywhere between 51 and 90 per cent, Kovachev said. He assured that this will be his position during the negotiations with the three consortia competing for the construction of the plant.
The government-owned interest will be secured with state guarantees while the rest of the funding will be raised from commercial banks, Kovachev said. He said that several Bavarian investors are eyeing minority stakes in the billion-dollar venture.
- Business Staff
UK and Europe regional vice president of AECL, Ala Alizadeh, came to Sofia to meet energy and government representatives and acquaint them with the technical parameters of the Canadian company's offer for Belene.
Any rating of the technologies that can be used by the future nuclear plant at Belene will be premature and biased at this stage, Alizadeh said. He held a news conference in Sofia to provide details about his company's interest in the Belene project and personally denied allegations that Bulgarian government representatives had asked to be paid a bribe in exchange for approving the AECL offer for Belene.
AECL is one of five companies, which have submitted tentative offers for the project. The other four are Skoda of the Czech Republic, US-based Westinghouse, Russia's AtomStroyExport and France's Framatome. They are all united in three consortia in order to provide the financing and the construction works for the plant.
The three consortia bidding to complete the nuclear plant are the following: Skoda, Citibank and Italy's UniCredito; Framatome and AtomStroyExport; and AECL, Italy's Ansaldo Nuclear, Bechtel of the US and Japan's Hitatchi.
The AECL offer will be based on technology that uses heavy water and natural uranium. It is the only one of the prospective contractors intending to use heavy water technology (the CANDU technology). All the other offers are based on a light-water technology.
An environmental impact assessment report unveiled last month, suggests that a light-water reactor is preferable for Belene. According to Alizadeh however, the relative advantages and disadvantages of all possible technologies must be further examined and any comments or ratings at this stage would be premature and biased.
He also said that some of the existing equipment and infrastructure at the Belene site can probably be used by the future contractor, but only after a full assessment because it was built many years ago. He expects that the design has to change to reflect the modern standards.
First launched in 1991, the Belene project was revived by the government on December 19, 2002. Its reopening was officially announced by Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg on May 3 this year. The contractor will be selected from among the five bidders through direct negotiations with each of them.
The project was recently the focus of public attention when an anonymous letter appeared in a Canadian newspaper, alleging that Bulgarian government officials had asked to be paid by the Canadian company to have their offer approved.
Repeating an earlier official AECL statement, Alizadeh said last week that an internal audit revealed nothing to substantiate the letter's allegations. Asked about the findings of an official Canadian investigation into the matter, he said he was not aware of its progress.
Energy Minister Milko Kovachev said he is required to present the investor selection procedure to the government within a month. He will also have to hold negotiations jointly, with Economy Minister Lidya Shouleva and Finance Minister Milen Velchev. As he was unveiling the project on May 3, the Prime Minister mentioned year-end as the target date for the selection of an investor. Kovachev himself hopes that this happens as early as this autumn.
The state will remain the majority stakeholder in Belene nuclear plant, with a holding ranging anywhere between 51 and 90 per cent, Kovachev said. He assured that this will be his position during the negotiations with the three consortia competing for the construction of the plant.
The government-owned interest will be secured with state guarantees while the rest of the funding will be raised from commercial banks, Kovachev said. He said that several Bavarian investors are eyeing minority stakes in the billion-dollar venture.
- Business Staff
