site.btaPM Welcomes Signing of Safety Analysis Contract for Alternative Fuel for Kozloduy NPP Unit 6

Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev welcomed the signing of a new contract to conduct safety analysis for licensing a new nuclear fuel assembly design compatible with Kozloduy NPP's Unit 6 fuel design, the Government press service said here on Friday.

The contract was signed earlier in the day.

The Prime Minister congratulated Energy Minister Vladimir Malinov, Westinghouse Electric Company President and CEO Patrick Fragman, Senior Vice President Aziz Dagh and Tarik Choho, President of Nuclear Fuel of Westinghouse.

“Thanks to fruitful cooperation with our American partners, we have made significant progress towards our common goal - making Bulgaria’s energy sector independent, which is of the utmost importance for the country’s energy security and the future of the entire European Union,” Glavchev said in the press release.

The signing of the contract between Kozloduy NPP and Westinghouse Electric Company is one of many successful projects of the caretaker Government, the Prime Minister said. He emphasized that despite the challenges, the Government continues to work effectively, with a focus on key initiatives related to energy security and independence. He said this project demonstrates the Government’s targeted work for the benefit of Bulgarian citizens and the economy.

The participants in the meeting also discussed the progress made under the caretaker Government on the project for new nuclear facilities at the Kozloduy NPP site. It was recalled that on November 4, a contract was signed for engineering work on the construction of new Units 7 and 8, between Kozloduy NPP New Build and the consortium Westinghouse HDEC.

“By building Units 7 and 8 at Kozloduy NPP, the state will continue to pursue its goals concerning the development of nuclear energy, which is emission-free and fully aligns with the EU's Green Deal criteria while being accessible to consumers,” Glavchev said. He also noted that it is extremely important for Bulgaria to meet the requirement of at least 30% localization (involving local companies) in the project's implementation throughout all phases.