Bulgaria

Operating Reactors: 2
Reactors in Construction: 2
Reactors Being Decommissioned: 4

High Level Waste in Interim Storage Facilities:
872 t HM fuel elements

For Reprocessing:
2,673 fuel elements (Russia)

Other Nuclear Waste:
12,443 m³ low and medium level waste is stored in interim storage facilities. Since 2009 Bulgaria is looking for a site for a near-surface final disposal for this waste. Some million t of waste containing uranium have been generated by uranium mining activities.

Waste Management Concept for High Level Waste:

After the interim storage in cooling ponds, most of the spent fuel elements are planned to be transported to Russia for reprocessing. The radioactive waste generated by reprocessing has to be taken back by Bulgaria. In the long run, it shall be stored intermediately at a dry disposal site.

Final Repository Situation for High Level Waste:

In Bulgaria, there is currently no attempt to find a final repository.

Problems:

With the reprocessing taking place in Russia, the increased radiation exposure for the workforce and for the general population, as well as the increased accident risk is transferred to another Non-Member State, in which even lower security standards prevail. No plans for the final disposal of the waste generated by reprocessing are known.