In the foreground, from left: Ukrainian energy minister German Galushchenko and Bulgarian energy minister Rumen Radev at the MOU signing ceremony in Sofia, Bulgaria. Looking on are (from left) Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Bulgarian prime minister Nikolai Denkov.
The energy ministries of Bulgaria and Ukraine have announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding to expand collaboration in the energy sector, including the nuclear energy sector.
The agreement was signed last week in Sofia, Bulgaria, by Bulgarian energy minister Rumen Radev and his Ukrainian counterpart, German Galushchenko. Also attending the signing ceremony were Bulgarian prime minister Nikolai Denkov and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
“We are deepening cooperation in the energy sector and will develop cooperation in accordance with the strategies of our countries in the field of nuclear energy, green energy, hydrogen, energy storage systems, and smart grids,” said Galushchenko in the Ukrainian government’s July 6 announcement.
Nuclear specifics: According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy, the countries “will intensify the provision of expert and engineering services and solutions in the field of nuclear energy through independent expertise in assessing the safety of nuclear facilities and the exchange of experts, access to infrastructure, and participation in joint projects and initiatives involving joint activities.”
The MOU also promotes “cooperation in all stages of the nuclear fuel cycle, activities, and services related to the life extension of nuclear facilities in order to improve safety and/or performance,” the Ukrainian ministry said, adding, “The exchange of knowledge and experience on the protection of energy infrastructure against physical, electromagnetic, and cyber threats is also identified as a priority.”
In case you missed it: Just last month, Bulgarian and Ukrainian firms inked agreements with U.S.-based Westinghouse Electric Company. On June 13, Westinghouse announced the signing of a contract with Ukraine’s nuclear plant operator Energoatom for the design, manufacture, and delivery of long-term containment cooling systems as part of the modernization of the four-unit Rivne nuclear plant in northern Ukraine. The following day, the American firm announced the signing of a front-end engineering and design contract with Bulgaria’s Kozloduy NPP-Newbuild for an AP1000 reactor at the two-unit Kozloduy site.
