Nuclear on the Danube, hopefully

Russia is partnering with Bulgaria on a nuclear plant situated on the Danube River. Apparently the deal is done, but there's still some disagreement on the price of the deal. This particular project has been stalled for awhile, and Germany's RWE AG pulled out of an earlier plan.

Fortum, Altran, Rosatum to Build Bulgaria Atomic-Power Plant

Bulgaria agreed with Fortum OYJ, Finland’s biggest utility, French engineering company Altran Technologies SA and Russia’s Rosatom Corp. to set up a joint company to build and operate the Belene nuclear power plant.

The cost of the project has yet to be determined, Bulgarian Energy and Economy Minister Traicho Traikov told journalists today in Sofia. The joint venture that will build the 2,000- megawatt plant at Belene on the Danube river will be set up in four months, he said.

About that cost... from an earlier article:

Russia and Bulgaria Disagree Over Prices for Danube Nuclear Power Plant

Rosatom Corp., Russia’s nuclear power company that won a contract to build the two-reactor plant for 4 billion euros ($5.45 billion) in 2005, has increased the price to 6.3 billion euros because of the delayed construction, Bulgarian Energy and Economy Minister Traicho Traikov said today.

“The proposed price is unacceptably high for us,” Traikov said in Sofia. “The power plant should not cost more than 5 billion euros in our estimates.”

But apparently they've worked that out - maybe.