Caretaker Energy Minister Vladimir Malinov of Bulgaria is set to pay a working visit to the United States next week. The purpose of the visit is to strengthen the cooperation between the two countries in ensuring energy security. During the visit, the first meeting of the Steering Committee of the Intergovernmental Agreement between Bulgaria and the United States for cooperation on the construction of a nuclear power facility at the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant site and Bulgaria's civil nuclear program will take place in Washington. Minister Malinov will hold meetings with US Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Geoffrey Pyatt and the Assistant Secretary for International Affairs at the US Department of Energy, Andrew Light. He will also engage in discussions with representatives from financing institutions such as the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (U.S. DFC) and the U.S. federal export credit agency EXIM Bank to explore opportunities for their participation in energy projects in Bulgaria [ee30a713].
In a ceremony at the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Bulgaria, caretaker Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev and US Ambassador to Bulgaria Kenneth Merten marked the start of alternative fuel use by Kozloduy N-plant in its Unit 5. The process of preparing for the switch to US-made nuclear fuel began in 2019 and the loading of the new fuel was completed on Tuesday. The ceremony was also attended by caretaker Energy Minister Vladimir Malinov and representatives of Westinghouse Electric Sweden AB, the company that supplied the fuel. Permission for the transition from Russian to US fuel was granted by the Bulgarian Nuclear Regulatory Agency on April 22 [6663711f].
Meanwhile, Kenya is making progress in its plans for nuclear power. The country is set to host the second nuclear forum between the US and Africa in August. The forum will attract top officials from the US nuclear energy sector to offer more insights on the technology and pursue possible engagement agreements. Kenya plans to set up a nuclear power plant and has already chosen Kilifi as the preferred host. The Nuclear Power and Energy Agency (Nupea) is engaging residents of Kilifi County to create awareness and pave the way for the construction of the power plant. Kenya aims to commence construction in 2027 and commission the plant by 2034. This summit offers the US an opportunity to deepen involvement in African countries interested in nuclear power plants [1784d3c0].
Geoffrey Pyatt, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, Bureau of Energy Resources, announced that the U.S. and Nigeria are working towards convening a maiden Energy Security Dialogue in 2024. The dialogue will include a broad agenda, including decarbonizing fossil energy production, accelerating clean energy deployment, and liquefied natural gas. Other topics to be discussed include the challenges of the global gas market, critical minerals, energy access, grid interconnections, and partnerships. The dialogue will also involve a business element where U.S. and Nigerian companies come together to explore opportunities and push their governments to deepen their energy partnerships. Nigeria and Angola, two of Africa's largest oil producers, are important countries with a globally significant capacity to produce crude oil, hence their significance in the Energy Security Dialogue [23f689e0].
The UAE is considering building a second nuclear power plant to meet the growing demand for electricity in the Gulf state. The country's first plant, the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant, started commercial operations in 2021. Any contract for a new nuclear power plant would be worth tens of billions of dollars and could attract tender bids from China, Russia, and the US. The government is projecting a substantial increase in electricity use over the next decade driven by population growth and an expanding industrial sector. The government has yet to budget for a second power plant or decide on the size or location, but a tender could be issued this year. The UAE is a close security partner of the US and signed a nuclear energy cooperation agreement with Washington in 2009. The UAE's nuclear program is peaceful and solely for energy purposes to decrease its reliance on oil. The UAE buys the fuel it needs for its reactors from the international market to avoid enriching uranium. The UAE sits across the Gulf from Iran and neighbors Saudi Arabia, which is in talks with the US over ambitions to develop its own civil nuclear power industry [7000ef40].