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### Viewing cable 09SOFIA711, BULGARIA: WAIVERING ON BELENE NPP

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
09SOFIA711 | 2009-12-21 10:57 | 2011-04-29 12:00 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Sofia
Appears in these articles: http://www.bivol.bg/wlbelene.html http://www.capital.bg/politika_i_ikonomika/bulgaria/2011/04/29/1082317_mrusna_energiia/ http://wlcentral.org/node/1722

`

    VZCZCXRO1648
    OO RUEHDBU RUEHFL RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHNP RUEHROV RUEHSL RUEHSR
    DE RUEHSF #0711/01 3551057
    ZNY CCCCC ZZH
    O 211057Z DEC 09
    FM AMEMBASSY SOFIA
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6545
    INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
    RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
    RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
    RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
    RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

` `

    C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SOFIA 000711

    SIPDIS

    DEPARTMENT FOR SPE MORNINGSTAR, DOE FOR ELKIND,CUTLER,
    EKIMOFF

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/17/2018
    TAGS: ENRG PREL PGOV BG
    SUBJECT: BULGARIA:  WAIVERING ON BELENE NPP

    REF: SOFIA 696

    Classified By: CDA Susan Sutton for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

    ¶1.  (C) Summary:  In energy meetings with the Russians on
    December 10-11, the Bulgarians held their red-lines on the
    Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline, proceeded with South
    Stream, and waivered on the Belene Nuclear Power Plant.
    While Russian Energy Minister Schmatko appeared to us to have
    returned home with more than expected, particularly on
    Belene, our contacts tell us that the Russians left seemingly
    displeased with a lack of progress on the major projects, and
    Russian pressure for forward movement continues.  Another
    energy delegation, led by Economy and Energy Minister
    Traikov, will head to Moscow December 23 for additional
    talks.  If those culminate in the eventual Russian ownership
    of Belene, it will represent a dramatic blow to Bulgarian
    energy security.  End Summary.

    ¶2.  (C) A Russian energy delegation led by Energy Minister
    Sergey Schmatko was in Sofia December 10-11 for regular
    meetings of the  Bulgarian-Russian Intergovernmental Economic
    Commission.  Topping the agenda were three major energy
    projects, the South Stream gas pipeline,
    Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline and the Belene Nuclear
    Power plant, all of which were agreed to by Bulgaria's last
    government.  After taking office in July, the new government
    of Boyko Borissov began to re-evaluate Bulgaria's
    participation in these projects.  Borissov promised PM Putin
    an answer on Bulgaria's intentions by the end of the 2009.
    The December energy discussions were designed as a forum to
    announce Bulgaria's decisions.

    SOUTH STREAM
    ------------

    ¶3.  (C)  As expected, Bulgaria stated it would proceed with
    the South Stream pipeline, seeing it as a European project
    offering diversification of route.  Our contacts tell us that
    no real progress was made on South Steam during the December
    10-11 meetings, causing Minister Schmatko to half-seriously
    propose to his Bulgarian counterpart that the two governments
    take over project negotiations since the companies involved
    -- Gazprom and the Bulgarian Energy Holding -- were making
    little progress.  Head of the Bulgarian Energy Holding Galina
    Tosheva told us that the shareholders agreement on South
    Stream was "80 percent ready" and the Bulgarian-Russian
    project company would likely be registered in Sofia in the
    first quarter of 2010.   Once the company is registered, a
    project feasibility study would be conducted, after which an
    investment decision would be made by the Bulgarian side.

    BURGAS-ALEXANDROUPOLIS
    ----------------------

    ¶4.  (C)  The Bulgarians held their ground on BAP, insisting
    that the Bulgarian side must do an environmental impact study
    of the project before it decides whether to proceed.  The
    study is likely to take as long as 18 months.  The new
    Bulgarian Government is skeptical of the benefits of this
    project in terms of revenues and is exploring whether the
    deal can be made more attractive to the Bulgarian side.

    BACK-STEPPING ON BELENE
    -----------------------

    ¶5.  (C)  The real drama of the December talks surrounded the
    Belene Nuclear Power Plant.  The new government took office
    highly skeptical of the project.  When strategic investor RWE
    pulled out on October 28, the project was frozen.  Russian
    pressure to restart Belene has been intense, with Moscow
    offering to become a majority owne.  Our contacts have given
    conflicting read-outsof whatwas discussed and agreed with
    the Russias.  Minister Traikov told us December 14 that
    Bulgaria may consider offering Russia a majority stake in the
    project "initially" but he could not explain exactly what
    that would entail.  Deputy Energy Minister Maya Hristova told
    us the talk of offering a majority stake to Russia was a
    Bulgarian strategy to buy time while Sofia searches for other
    strategic investors.  Bulgarian Energy Holding CEO told us
    she sees any offer of an ownership stake to Russia as a
    national security concern, but she worried she was
    increasingly being over-ruled by the Ministry of Economy and
    Energy on Belene matters.  Tosheva said BEH would issue a
    tender for an independent adviser to help Bulgaria think

    SOFIA 00000711  002 OF 002

    through the financial aspects of Belene and explore its
    options.

    ¶6.   (C) Comment:  When RWE pulled out of Belene in October,
    the project seemed dead.  Russia has put it on life support,
    with both sweeteners and new forms of pressure.  Unsatisfied
    with the progress made at the intergovernmental meetings,
    according to our energy contacts Moscow has summoned Energy
    Minister Traikov for additional Belene talks on December 23.
    If Bulgaria agrees to Russian ownership in Belene, energy
    security will take a dramatic step backward in Bulgaria and a
    huge opportunity to correct the mis-steps of the previous
    government will have been lost -- points we have repeatedly
    stressed.

    SUTTON

`