Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant and Westinghouse Electric Company concluded a contract on the licensing of fuel for Unit 6 of the NPP, the Bulgarian Ministry of Energy has announced. The signing, which took place in Sofia, was attended by caretaker Minister of Energy Vladimir Malinov.

• Bulgaria signs engineering contract for new nuclear capacity with Westinghouse and Hyundai

The contract envisages an analysis of the compatibility of the fresh Westinghouse fuel with the Russian fuel Unit 6 has been using for 6 years. Westinghouse CEO and PresidentPatrick Fragman stated that his company was eager to continue to contribute to Bulgaria’s energy the independence and diversification. Answering a reporter’s question how the contract signed will affect the planned partial substitution of the Unit 6 fuel with fuel from Framatome, the French company the Bulgarian side has a 10-year contract with, Minister Malinov said that the duration of the contract with Westinghouse was 48 months and was not binding with regard to the purchase of fuel from the American company, the Bulgarian news agency BTA reports.  

Earlier this year, Unit 5 of Bulgaria’s only nuclear power plant at Kozloduy was partially fueled by Westinghouse. The US company was selected to construct Units 7 and 8 at Kozloduy.