Bulgaria Approves Decommissioning Licenses for Units 3 and 4 of Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant

On August 1, the Bulgarian Nuclear Regulatory Agency (NRA) issued a 10-year license to the State Enterprise for Radioactive Waste Management (SERAW), authorizing it to carry out the decommissioning of Units 3 and 4 of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant.

The license was presented to SERAW Deputy Executive Director Elizabeth Mladenova by NRA Chairman Tsanko Bachiski. The license is held by SERAW's specialized department responsible for the decommissioning of Units 1 to 4 of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant. SERAW Management Board Chairman Sergey Tsochev attended the license award ceremony.

According to the license requirements, the decommissioning of Units 3 and 4 must comply with Bulgaria's Law on the Safe Use of Nuclear Energy and relevant implementing regulations. Nuclear safety, radiation protection, physical protection, and safe management of radioactive waste should be prioritized throughout the entire decommissioning process.

Units 3 and 4 of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant were permanently shut down on December 31, 2006. At that time, Bulgaria was on the verge of joining the European Union, and the shutdown of these units was part of its commitments related to EU accession. Units 1 and 2 of the plant had been shut down in 2002; Units 5 and 6 remain in operation, with their operating periods extendable to 2047 and 2051, respectively, subject to meeting maintenance and modernization requirements.

The Radiana National Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility, located near Kozloduy, was commissioned in April 2026. The facility is designed to receive treated low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste, including waste generated during the decommissioning of Units 1 to 4 of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant, but does not accept high-level radioactive waste or spent nuclear fuel.