Ministry of Energy Receives Additional Funds for the Construction of the NRWRF

The Ministry of Energy (ME) is receiving additional funds for the indexation of amounts under a contract for the construction of the National Radioactive Waste Repository (NRAWR). This was decided by the caretaker Council of Ministers at its meeting today, the government information service announced.

According to Decision No. 683 of the Council of Ministers of July 25, 2005, the National Repository is being built by the State Enterprise "Radioactive Waste" (SERW) as the contracting authority, and all activities of SERW are financed by the "Radioactive Waste" and "Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities" funds, which are part of the ME budget.

The additional expenses in the ME budget, amounting to BGN 17 million, were approved by Decree of the Council of Ministers No. 47 of May 8, 2025. The funds were calculated with the draft state budget for 2026, approved by the Council of Ministers, which, however, was not adopted by the National Assembly.

The construction of the NRAWR is an obligation of Bulgaria under Directive 2011/70/EURATOM of July 19, 2011, according to which each Member State bears the ultimate responsibility for the management of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste generated in it.

The construction of the NRAWR in Bulgaria is financed with a grant from the International Kozloduy Fund and national co-financing.