Bulgaria has extended the contract with Atomstroyexport by six months

According to the Bulgarian publication of Dnevnik, the new contract will be valid till March 11, 2011.
We remind that on October 31, 2006 National Electric Company (EAD NEC, VEN affiliated company) of the Republic of Bulgaria officially declared Atomstroyexport CJSC the winner of the tender on Belene NPP construction on the basis of the NPP-92 Russian project with two VVER-1000/V-466 power units.
On November 29, 2006 EAD NEC and Atomstroyexport CJSC signed the Agreement on Belene NPP Project realization. On January 18, 2008 during the RF President’s visit to Bulgaria, the authorities of Atomstroyexport CJSC and the National Electric Company of the Republic of Bulgaria signed the Contractual Agreement on Belene NPP construction. On July, 2008 Bulgarian Ministry of Regional Development and Welfare issued the official permit for the plant construction. On July 30, 2008 after signing of Belene NPP Site Opening Protocol, the construction works stage was started. On September 3, 2008 there was held an official celebration of the site opening, which involved the participation of Bulgarian Prime-Minister.
At present demolition of buildings and structures, that were not integrated in the project, has been completed at Belene NPP site, including the preparation of the foundation area for the first power unit construction. A batching pant has been commissioned; it consists of two modules, the capacity of each amounts to 100 cubic meters of concrete per hour. Sewage dispersal plants of industrial and household waste have been constructed and are ready for dispersal performance tuning. The building has been repaired; construction and geotechnical laboratories have been equipped. Drilling operations and geological survey are being performed at the construction site. In December 2009, SIEMENS AG handed over to Atomstroyexport a techno-commercial proposal (TCP) for construction of power distribution facilities for Bulgarian nuclear power plant. The TCP includes construction of facilities of power distribution from power units to power transmission lines (PTL) of Bulgarian energy system of 110 kV and 400 kV. With the participation of empowered Bulgarian experts there has been held the acceptance of a significant number of intermediate key events in accordance with the agreed schedule of equipment manufacturing.