For the construction of the two new the "Kozloduy" NPP block; seventh and eighth, about 14,000 workers will be needed.
This is what the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Association "Bulgarian Atomic Forum" commented today for BTA. - "Bulatom" Bogomil Manchev. He emphasized that our country should create two types of personnel, one of which is those who deal with investment policy and know how to build a nuclear power plant. These personnel are very different from those who manage the headquarters, Manchev emphasized. According to him, Bulgaria will urgently need specialists in order to be able to do the so-called consultant - the companies that monitor the construction of the project.
"Bulatom" is the organizer of the traditional International Nuclear Conference "Bulgarian Atomic Energy– national, regional and global energy security", which is held under the patronage of the head of state in the "Riviera" to Varna. Earlier today, the Acting Minister of Energy Vladimir Malinov indicated within the framework of the forum that nuclear energy remains a top priority for Bulgaria.
Bogomil Manchev explained that in order to build the 7th and 8th blocks, the company "New Powers" it should have its own staff of about 200 people. He specified that a technical consultant will also be needed, who will start with about 100 personnel, but at the next stage their number should reach 350 people, who will supervise the construction of the two blocks over the years. The legal consultant on the project is also extremely special, added Manchev. According to him, there are three such companies in Europe that deal with the signing of this type of contracts.
It will be just as complicated with the personnel during the construction itself and the delivery and installation of the technologies for the two blocks, added the chairman of "Bulatom". According to him, then about 15,000 people will be needed - approximately 1,000 engineers and 14,000 workers. Among the latter, however, there should be about 1,000 first-class welders, and Bulgaria lacks such, added Manchev. He added that construction itself will most likely start in about 5 years. The process of licensing such a project is long, but this is not only in our country, but everywhere, the expert explained.
As for the necessary workers, he also commented that at the moment Bulgaria will hardly collect even half. According to him, it would be good for the state to start preparing from now on to solve this problem. There is a political decision to build the two blocks and that is very good, but attention must be paid to how the project will be arranged, Manchev stressed. And he added that there are bad examples in this regard in the world. In Finland and France, for example, poorly structured projects were implemented, the implementation of which was delayed for years, and their budget was overspent several times, the expert explained.
For the personnel who will manage the plant itself, Manchev indicated that there is enough time to be trained while the blocks are being built. His position was that when young people in our country realize that there is a future in nuclear energy and that they can be successful, there will be enough people willing to train and work.