Negotiations between Ukraine and Bulgaria to purchase Russian nuclear reactors will continue for another six months.

Bulgaria’s parliament extended the discussion period for the sale of two Russian nuclear reactors to Ukraine by six months. Authorities in Sofia received reactors from Russian supplier Atomstroyexport more than six years ago but decided not to build the Belene nuclear power plant. The reactors are currently stored near Belene and are awaiting sale.

Bulgaria has been negotiating the sale with Ukraine for almost two years, and the parliament obliged the government by agreeing to a price of at least €600M – the price the Bulgarian National Electricity Company paid to Russia’s Atomstroyexport.

This year, the European Commission recognized that a potential reactor sale could be financed with the funds allocated by the EU to help Ukraine. Ukraine plans to start construction of four new nuclear units at the Khmelnytskyi NPP. Two will be built using Russian equipment bought in Bulgaria, and the other two will use American Westinghouse technology.