Indefinite Licences for Certain Types of Nuclear Facilities Legislated

Sofia, 21 feb. /BTA/. Bulgaria’s Parliament on Wednesday passed on first reading amendments to the Safe Use of Nuclear Energy Act.

The revisions, moved by Delyan Dobrev MP of GERB-UDF and Stanislav Anastasov MP of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, provide for the introduction of indefinite licences for certain types of nuclear facilities. Such facilities will still be subject to a periodic safety review once every 10 years, but this will be done within their effective licence. 

The reasoning to the bill says that indefinite licences are predominantly applied in the regulatory practice of the European Union and in the countries with an advanced nuclear power industry. With the advent of new-generation nuclear reactors, the design service life of nuclear power plants is already as long as 60 years, with an option for extension.

Under the revisions, a licence will be revoked if the licensee fails a periodic safety review or fails to conduct it. The provisions on payment of annual licensing fees are amended accordingly.