AP1000

The American Westinghouse Electric Company has signed a contract for the modernization of Kozloduy nuclear power plant.

In 2018, the nuclear power generated 2563 terawatt hours of electricity worldwide, which is up with 61 terawatt hours from a year earlier, according to the World Nuclear Association (WNA) Annual Nuclear Performance Report 2019.

The report will be formally presented and discussed during the WNA Symposium 2019 international event in London on September 5-6.

The Bulgarian Nuclear Regulatory Agency is expected to complete the evaluation of the documentation and issue a license for the Fifth Unit of the Kozloduy NPP by September 2017, which will allow the unit to operate for another ten years, announced the chairman of the nuclear regulator Latchesar Kostov.

Bulgaria is looking for a strategic investor into an expansion of nuclear capacities, Energy Minister Temenuzhka Petkova has told a committee in Parliament.

She has explained there is certain interest from China in getting involved in Bulgaria's nuclear sector.

Bulgaria has presented to a potential Chinese investor the opportunities for possible cooperation in the construction of a new unit at Kozloduy nuclear power plant, the Energy Ministry in Sofia said on Tuesday.

"A delegation from a Chinese corporation operating nuclear plants visited Kozloduy nuclear power plant," the Energy Ministry said in a statement.

US-based Westinghouse Electric Company said on Thursday it agreed to discuss a new timetable and structure of the project to build Unit 7 of Bulgaria's Kozloduy nuclear plant.

Westinghouse CEO Danny Roderick said the decision had been taken "jointly by all parties and reflects the present conditions in Bulgaria of support for an infrastructure project of such a scale."

Bulgaria is only ready to work on the agreement with Westinghouse Electric for unit 7 of the Kozloduy NPP provided that the company participates in the project as an investor, according to Prime Minister Boyko Borisov.

Borisov made clear Wednesday in Parliament that Bulgaria could not afford to implement the project unless US Westinghouse Electric joined the scheme as an investor.

US-based nuclear power company Westinghouse estimated that the electricity produced by unit 7 of Bulgaria's Kozloduy NPP will cost between USD 75 and 84, if it constructs its AP1000 plant there.

Westinghouse Electric Company said on Monday it is donating BGN 17,000 (EUR 8,500) for the reconstruction of a kindergarten in the Bulgarian town of Mizia hit by flash floods last summer.

Westinghouse Electric Company has been accepted this week as full member of the Bulgarian Business Leaders Forum (BBLF) at the Board Meeting.