Suppliers from Russia are not extremely reliable in terms of reaction, said Acting Minister of Energy Traycho Traykov regarding the frequent shutdowns of Unit 6 of the "Kozloduy" NPP. due to a membrane defect.
He visited the nuclear power plant and inspected on-site the start-up activities on the non-nuclear part of the sixth unit with a view to its inclusion in the country's energy system.
"What I understand from the plant's management is that suppliers from Russia are not extremely reliable in terms of attitude, reaction and quality, but I believe that the first choice should always be the supply of original parts, and the necessary administrative steps must be taken, and they sometimes take time", commented Traykov, quoted by bTV.
"I know from people in the industry that in the country of the original equipment manufacturer, many defects also occur, including for this part", he added.
Traykov explained that after the need to replace this membrane arose, at the “Kozloduy“ have conducted a procedure for the supply of original parts.
"For some reason that remains to be clarified, this procedure was terminated in 2023. Then in 2024 a new one began, which was a function of the granting of a derogation by the Council of Ministers so that these components could be supplied within the sanctions regime. This derogation, again for reasons that have not been clarified, was delayed too much and when it was already received in May 2025, it was too late for the order to be fulfilled by the supplier who had appeared in the procedure," explained the acting minister.
After that, attempts began to install similar components. According to Traykov, the management of the nuclear power plant has now assured him that the expectations are that, once the problem is fixed, the unit will be able to start operating at full capacity within ten days or two weeks.
Traycho Traykov added that the plant has provided him with a list of all the derogations that need to be granted by the Council of Ministers in order to ensure trouble-free operation.
"I don't know why the previous Council of Ministers did not make these decisions. I am committed to making these decisions as quickly as possible, including for the delivery of the membrane in question and the new procedure that they have started," Traycho Traykov assured.
The losses that are realized when the sixth unit is shut down are not small and amount to tens of millions of euros, he added.