WESTERN panic over an ageing Bulgarian reactor has exposed confusion at the centre of the European Union鈥檚 energy policy for Eastern Europe. Last week, the European Commission offered Bulgaria free power and nuclear assistance in return for shutting down the oldest of its nuclear reactors at Kozloduy, on the Danube. At the same time, Western energy experts, including the Commission鈥檚 own, say that cheap energy efficiency measures would allow Bulgaria to close the reactor down. For minimal extra investment, they say, all six reactors at Kozloduy could be closed.
Nuclear safety authorities in France and Germany reacted with horror earlier this month when Bulgaria announced that it had restarted unit 1, an early Soviet-designed pressurised water reactor. They are especially worried that a weld round the reactor鈥檚 pressure vessel might fail (This Week, 14 October). But without its reactors, Bulgaria faces power cuts this winter because it cannot afford coal to power its conventional plants.
Now the EU is offering Bulgaria three months鈥� supply of free coal or electricity, plus further safety checks at Kozloduy, in return for shutting unit 1. Western donors have already spent 54 million Ecus (拢45 million) improving Kozloduy.
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But if Western donors had heeded their own energy experts, they might have avoided the expense. Michael Scholand of the International Institute for Energy Conservation in London says the World Bank, the Commission and private Western companies have identified energy efficiency projects that could save Bulgaria about 9.3 terawatt-hours a year. The four oldest plants at Kozloduy produce 7 TWh a year.
Most of the projects would pay for themselves within 10 years through fuel savings. The Commission鈥檚 PHARE programme of assistance to Eastern Europe concludes that at least 4 TWh a year could be saved for 鈥渓ittle or no investment鈥�, says Scholand.