Yordan Todorov, "Vazrazhdane": We demand resignations at Kozloduy NPP after the second emergency shutdown of Unit 6

The sixth unit of the "Kozloduy" NPP was shut down this morning for emergency repairs for the second time in two weeks and less than a month after the completion of the annual scheduled repairs. This was announced by Yordan Todorov, a member of parliament from "Vazrazhdane".

According to him, such a series of emergency shutdowns immediately after scheduled repairs is unprecedented for the largest and most profitable state-owned energy company. In both cases, the reason is the same – damage to a protective membrane, which is a key element for the safe operation of the turbine.

Todorov explained that the membrane is a safety component that must react in a strictly defined way under load. According to the information provided, during the last repair it was replaced with an alternative version made of a different type of steel than that set out in the original design.

Yordan Todorov emphasized that in nuclear energy such changes cannot be made in a quick or internal procedure. Any replacement of a key element should be analyzed, approved and coordinated with the designer and regulatory authorities in advance, since even a seemingly small difference on paper can lead to serious consequences.

Particularly worrying, according to the MP, is the fact that on December 8, 2025, a technical solution was approved for the implementation of the so-called “alternative membranes“, just a few days before the first case of a defect. This raises the question of whether the membrane was not replaced with an alternative one during the annual repair. If the documentation was drawn up after the installation, this means that the nuclear power plant is being operated in conditions of gross violations of the rules and good practices.

Additional questions also arise about who allowed these protective elements to be manufactured and installed. According to the rules of nuclear safety, such components are manufactured only by licensed manufacturers, using approved technologies and under strict control. They cannot be “reworked“ or “legalized“ retroactively.

Todorov also pointed out that the technical documentation states that the changes made do not contradict the regulatory requirements - a statement that he believes is controversial. The current regulation explicitly prohibits changes and modernizations of turbine equipment without coordination with the manufacturer, which turns the case not only into a technical but also a regulatory problem.

Criticism was also directed at the communication of the plant management with the public. According to Todorov, there was a lack of timely and clear official messages about the condition of the unit, the measures taken and the real risks. This led to tension among the residents of the town of Kozloduy, who spent the previous evening in uncertainty and fear.

According to him, hundreds of calls were received from citizens seeking information from unofficial sources, given that it should be provided promptly by the “Kozloduy“ NPP or the Nuclear Regulatory Agency. This, according to him, is a clear sign of a serious collapse in trust in the responsible institutions.

In this situation from “Vazrazhdane“ demand the immediate resignation of the Executive Director of the Kozloduy NPP Ivan Andreev and the Deputy Executive Director Andrey Krasnocharov.