en.Wedoany.com Reported - Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant-New Build EAD recently held talks with officials from the U.S. Embassy in Bulgaria, announcing that the new nuclear power project remains a strategic bilateral priority between the country and the United States. The company, wholly owned by Kozloduy NPP EAD, which operates the existing nuclear power plant, held discussions with its new board of directors at the U.S. Embassy with H. Martin McDowell, U.S. Chargé d'Affaires to Bulgaria, and Patrick Thilou, Political and Economic Officer.

The main topics of discussion were the construction progress of Units 7 and 8, subsequent implementation phases, and the possibility of financing from the U.S. Export-Import Bank. Both sides expressed willingness to continue active dialogue and close cooperation in all subsequent stages of project implementation. The meeting took place a week after Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev—a former president who assumed the premiership after forming a new government in May—met with representatives of Westinghouse. According to the government press service, the meeting discussed the implementation of preliminary engineering activities for the construction project of Units 7 and 8 at the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant, and also reviewed issues related to the feasibility study on the timeline for completing the new units and the expected final price.

The original Units 1-4 at the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant were VVER-440 type, classified by the European Commission as non-upgradeable, and Bulgaria agreed to shut them down during negotiations for its accession to the European Union in 2007. Units 5 and 6, using VVER-1000 reactors, were connected to the grid in 1987 and 1991 respectively, and have undergone refurbishment and life extension programs, extending their operational lifespan from 30 to 60 years. These two operational reactors currently provide about one-third of the country's electricity. Westinghouse's AP1000 has been selected as the technology for the two proposed new units. In November 2024, Hyundai Engineering & Construction, Westinghouse, and Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant-New Build EAD signed an engineering contract for the new capacity, with ministers stating this would determine the timeline and financial details. In July last year, Bulgaria's Ministry of Energy reached a cooperation agreement with U.S. bank Citi on financing for the new units and submitted a site selection application.

In December, Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant-New Build EAD signed an owner's engineer contract with a consortium consisting of Laurentis Energy Partners, its subsidiary Canadian Nuclear Partners SA (CNPSA), and BWXT Canada to advance the construction of the two new AP1000 units. The project aims for the first new unit—Kozloduy Unit 7—to begin operation in 2035, and Unit 8 in 2037. The combined capacity of 2,300 megawatts from the two new units will exceed the 1,760 megawatt capacity of the four previously shut-down units. The Bulgarian government has also indicated that additional units will be needed by 2050 to replace Units 5 and 6, and is also considering the deployment of small modular reactors.