Bulgaria should assess small modular reactors (SMRs) mainly for industrial processes and district heating rather than electricity production, an energy expert has said, warning that the country’s power balance does not currently justify new generation capacity in addition to that currently planned.

“From an electric power balance point of view, SMRs aren’t necessary,” Milko Kovachev, a nuclear expert, a former energy minister, and a former head of department at the International Atomic Energy Agency, told NucNet in an interview.

Kovachev said he does not believe there are “serious intentions yet” for SMR deployment in Bulgaria, describing current activity as exploratory efforts by companies “testing whether such options might work for them”.

“SMRs should be considered for other applications, for example, for district heating or industrial heat processes,” Kovachev said.