Bulgaria’s original nuclear power units were built by the Soviet Union. Credits: sirene68/Getty Images.

The Bulgarian Government has started constructing Unit 7 of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant using US technology that has never before been operational in Europe.

Westinghouse, the US nuclear company, will supply the technology for which the Bulgarian government initially spent €250m (Lv488.96m), according to Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov. Westinghouse wants to access the wider European market through the Bulgarian project.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

News about the partnership came after in September, the government in Sofia announced a 32.5% increase in FDI in the first seven months of 2023.

Denkov said: “The state company responsible for the project will receive €250m. The company will start negotiations with the companies that have to build the 7th power unit of the power plant. The deadline for the completion of the project is 2033.”

Energy Minister Rumen Radev must now select a contractor that uses the AP1000 technology from Westinghouse to design, construct and commission the new power unit. The Cabinet insisted the “final contract with the selected company and with the supplier of the AP1000 technology must be drawn up under the conditions of a fixed price and execution period”.

Globally, there are currently only two operating nuclear power plants using Westinghouse’s AP1000 technology – one in the US and one in China. The company is currently involved in a nuclear power construction project in Poland, which is not yet operational.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

The preparations of Unit 8 at Kozloduy have also been approved, with the aim that it will be completed “two to three years after the first one”.

Denkov highlighted that the 2,300MW capacity of the two new units would exceed the 1,760MW capacity of the closed first four units.

In 1966, Bulgaria signed an agreement with the Soviet Union to construct four units of VVER-440 model reactors at the Kozloduy plant near the Danube river’s border with Romania. As part of EU accession negotiations, Bulgaria committed to closing Kozloduy 1 and 2 by the end of 2002 and units 3 and 4 by the end of 2006. The European Commission (EC) had classified the units as non-upgradable. After complying with the EC’s requests, Bulgaria joined the EU in January 2007.

The government signed a ten-year deal with Westinghouse in November 2022 to supply fuel for Kozloduy 5, after an alternative to Russian fuel was sought. In January 2023, the government voted in favour of a draft decision asking ministers to negotiate with the US Government for the new Westinghouse AP1000 unit at Kozloduy.

Nuclear power in Bulgaria currently generates around one-third of the country’s electricity.