NEK requests improved Belene offers
21 December 2007
[Reuters, 20 December] Bulgaria's National Electricity Company (NEK) has asked strategic investors to submit improved offers by 9 January to acquire a 49% stake in the planned Belene nuclear power plant. Lyubomir Velkov, executive director of NEK, said that the five shortlisted bidders - Belgium's Electrabel, CEZ of the Czech Republic, EOn and RWE of Germany, and Italy's Enel - had been asked to improve their bids. He said, "Improvements are expected in the way the investors are seeing their role in the future management of the plant." He added, "The initial offers of some of them sound like they are going to have a majority stake." Velkov said he hoped that a strategic partner would be selected in the first half of 2008. Plans previously called for a partner to be chosen by the end of 2007.
Further information
National Electricity Company (NEK)
WNA's Nuclear Power in Bulgaria information paper
WNN: Five bids to participate in Belene
WNN: Belene project seeks investors
WNN: Russian firm to complete Bulgarian plant