Regulatory approval for Kozloduy dismantling
Bulgaria’s Nuclear Regulatory Agency has issued a ten-year licence to the State Enterprise Radioactive Waste, allowing continued dismantling work at the Kozloduy nuclear site. The authorisation covers decommissioning of units 3 and 4 under requirements for nuclear safety, radiation protection, physical security and radioactive-waste management.
The licence enables the state enterprise, commonly known as SERAW, to proceed with the next phase of decommissioning. It sets a regulatory framework for activities associated with dismantling at the closed reactors.
Closure timeline and remaining operating units
Kozloduy units 3 and 4 were permanently shut down on 31 December 2006, shortly before Bulgaria joined the European Union. Their closure was part of commitments made during the country’s EU accession process.
Units 1 and 2 had been closed earlier, in 2002. The site’s two remaining reactors, units 5 and 6, continue to provide the core of Bulgaria’s low-carbon baseload generation.
Operating licences for units 5 and 6 currently run to 2047 and 2051, respectively. Continued modernisation, safety assessments and regulatory approval are required to extend operations within those licence periods.
Radiana repository support and waste handling limits
The new dismantling phase is supported by Bulgaria’s national radioactive-waste repository at Radiana, near Kozloduy. The facility entered operation in April 2026 and is designed to receive processed low- and intermediate-level waste, including material generated by dismantling the four closed reactors.
Radiana is not authorised to receive spent nuclear fuel or high-level radioactive waste. Those materials require separate handling, storage and long-term disposal arrangements, leaving Bulgaria with a continuing strategic requirement beyond the current dismantling programme.
Dismantling scope under the ten-year window
Decommissioning is described as a long-duration industrial project rather than a simple plant-closure exercise. It involves radiological characterisation, segmentation and removal of contaminated equipment, along with waste treatment and transport controls.
The work also includes environmental monitoring and maintaining a complete traceable record for regulators. The ten-year licence provides a stable regulatory window for the next stage of dismantling.
Cost and schedule performance will depend on equipment condition, the volume and classification of radioactive material, and the availability of qualified contractors. Bulgaria must carry out these activities while maintaining high operating standards at units 5 and 6, which remain central to electricity exports and regional supply position.
