Kozloduy nuclear power plant

Kozloduy nuclear power plant - darkometer rating : 6 - A large nuclear power station in Bulgaria – and until a few years ago one of the potentially most dangerous nuclear installations in the world. Now that only the more modern reactor blocks 5 and 6 are in operation, the previously enormous risk has been significantly reduced. But still, it's a Soviet -era plant that oozes a creepy atmosphere all round. And you can visit it on a guided tour! Very cool. > More background info > What there is to see > Location > Access and costs > Time required > Combinations with other dark destinations > Combinations with non-dark destinations > photos More background info: Kozloduy is Bulgaria 's (currently) only nuclear power station and the largest such plant in the whole region – infamously it used to be regarded as one of the world's most dangerous such sites (see also Metsamor in Armenia ). That reputation concerned the older four reactor blocks, in particular Nos. 1 and 2. These were built with Soviet assistance from 1970 and to an old Soviet design which didn't even include any form of containment vessel. That means if there had been a major accident, such as a Fukushima - or Chernobyl -like explosion, then there would have been no safety precautions to limit the catastrophe that would inevitably have resulted, with radioactive material being released unhindered into the air and the environment. Since the fall of communism and the collapse of the Eastern Bloc , the plant came under increased scrutiny, especially in the West, and attracted worldwide concern. As Bulgaria aspired to EU membership, it became inevitable that the older units had to be shut down. Initially this only concerned the notorious blocks 1 and 2, which finally went off-line in 2004. Reactors 3 and 4 followed suit at the end of 2006, immediately before Bulgaria joined the EU.