Westinghouse and Hyundai sign contract for reactors in Bulgaria
A consortium of Westinghouse Electric Company and South Korea’s Hyundai Engineering & Construction has secured an engineering services contract with Bulgaria’s Kozloduy NPP-Newbuild.
This contract advances the project beyond the front-end engineering and design phase towards the construction of two AP1000 nuclear reactors at the Kozloduy site.
The AP1000, a Generation III+ reactor known for its passive safety systems and modular design, will play a central role in Bulgaria’s energy diversification and security efforts.
The contract includes site planning, licensing support, permitting, project planning, and operations and maintenance development, with work scheduled to begin in November 2024.
The first AP1000 unit is expected to start commercial operations by 2035. In October, Westinghouse extended its front-end engineering design (FEED) contract with Kozloduy NPP-Newbuild, following its initial award in June 2023.
This partnership enables Bulgaria to become a key regional energy hub, with Bulgarian companies set to participate in the construction of up to 30 AP1000 units planned worldwide.
US Ambassador to Bulgaria Kenneth Merten highlighted the strategic importance of the project in enhancing Bulgaria’s energy security through diversified, sustainable, and safe American nuclear technology.
Westinghouse’s AP1000 technology, which is already operational in China and the US, is expected to have 18 units running globally by 2030, with projects underway in Poland, Ukraine, Central and Eastern Europe, the UK, India, and North America.