Reactor decision made for Bulgarian nuclear power plant

Bulgarian Energy Holding (BEH) is to enter exclusive talks with Westinghouse and Toshiba towards the construction of an AP1000 as the seventh unit at the Kozloduy nuclear power plant, 120 miles north of the Bulgarian capital, Sofia.

In 2012, Bulgaria‘s Council of Ministers approved in principle the construction of new capacity at the site, prompting a request for proposals and subsequent feasibility studies of either a VVER or AP1000, and the latter has now been chosen.

The site is already home to two operating Russian-designed VVER-1000 pressurised water reactors, Kozloduy 5 and 6, as well as four shut-down VVER-440s.

Westinghouse and Toshiba will now work “collaboratively and actively” with BEH over the coming months on the details of a potential project. World Nuclear News reports that Westinghouse president and CEO Danny Roderick said that the selection of the AP1000 reactor would give Bulgaria “a maximum degree of certainty with respect to investment, licensing to European and global standards, with accelerated and modern construction.”

Prior to 2002, Bulgaria was a major regional exporter of electricity thanks in large part to the output of the six Kozloduy reactors, but was forced to close units 1-4 as a condition of its accession to the European Union.

December 18, 2013 - Posted by arclight2011part2 | Uncategorized