Krasimira Iliyeva, senior research of Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy of Bulgaria

— It has become a general tendency in Europe, the United States and Russia to extend the lives of operating nuclear reactors

The Government of Spain has decided to extend the life of the country’s oldest nuclear power plant in Garona till 2013. The plant was commissioned in 1970 and was supposed to operate for 40 years. Earlier, Russia decided to extend the service lives of the reactors of Kola Nuclear Power Plant (Murmansk region).

The decision to extend the service live of the plant in Garona is quite normal. We in Bulgaria were also going to extend the life of our Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant but failed to do it for political reasons even though we had approval of international experts.

It has become a general tendency in Europe, the United States and Russia to extend the lives of operating nuclear reactors. The construction of a new nuclear power plant is a costly process. If a thorough inspection shows that a reactor can be operated for an additional period, the regulatory agency issues a necessary permission. If effectively operated and timely modernized, nuclear power plants can work safely for quite long periods. It is for inspectors to decide for how long.