WWF Bulgaria calls for public discussion of construction work in Danube riverbed

In an open letter to the ministers of energy, transport and communications, and environment and water, WWF Bulgaria is calling for the technical options and the solution for a hydrotechnical structure near the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant to be publicly presented and discussed. The purpose of the facility is to raise the water level and ensure the operation of the nuclear plant’s cooling systems. A few days ago, Minister of Energy Iva Petrova announced that a dike would be built on the Danube River in the area around the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant.

It is not known whether the facility will be temporary or permanent, what its specifications and design will be, or what portion of the riverbed it will occupy, WWF Bulgaria said. According to the organization, there has been no assessment of the impact on navigation, riverbanks, islands, and river habitats.

According to WWF Bulgaria, similar cooling-water problems at the Paks Nuclear Power Plant in Hungary and the Cernavodă Nuclear Power Plant in Romania have resulted in large-scale interventions in river channels and the need for additional measures.

Edited by Yoan Kolev

Translated by Kostadin Atanasov