Westinghouse to Study Feasibility of Bulgaria Nuclear Plant

The study will include an evaluation of the site, radioactive waste and spent fuel management, reuse of existing infrastructures and facilities, licensing, local economic aspects, and the profitability of the two reactor designs.

“We look forward to assessing the potential to bring our advanced and proven I&C and fuel products for VVER reactor designs at the site,” Yves Brachet, the company's president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said in a press release.

Bulgaria is pursuing a seventh unit at Kozloduy after it abandoned plans to build a second nuclear power plant, Belene, in March 2012 after the government determined that the project was too costly. Building plans had moved forward in fits and starts for several years before the project was finally dropped..

Westinghouse, which is the U.S. nuclear unit of the Japanese group Toshiba, beat out four other companies for the feasibility study, including Areva, Worley Parsons and the Bulgarian firm Risk Engineering.

The study will encompass a review of two potential designs: a reactor of VVER design utilizing equipment already purchased by the customer together with Westinghouse instrumentation and control systems, fuel and a Toshiba Corporation turbine generator, and the construction and operation of a pressurized water reactor 1000-1200 MW design.

The initial assessment for Kozloduy Unit 7 must be submitted seven to nine months after the contract is signed, and by the end of 2013 the company must chose the site for the new unit.

In addition, Kozloduy NPP will launch an environmental impact assessment for its planned new unit in September.

At present, only the 1000 MW units 5 and 6 are operational at the Kozloduy plant, after Bulgaria agreed to shut down the 440 MW units 1-4 several years ago as part of its EU accession talks.