Westinghouse chose 5 Bulgarian companies to build the 7th unit of Kozloduy nuclear plant

Another step towards the implementation of the long-standing project for the building of the 7th unit of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant (in Bulgaria) was taken today. The American company Westinghouse signed agreements with 5 Bulgarian companies, which will act as subcontractors in the future project.

The partnership agreements provide a prerequisite for the implementation of a new reactor at the nuclear power plant. They were signed in the head office of the American Chamber of Commerce in Bulgaria.

The five Bulgarian companies in question are: Oscar - EL, Glavbolgarstroy (GBS), Enpro Consult, EnergoService and EQE. The deal deepens the potential for cooperation in the production of key components, including control and management systems, radiation monitoring systems, as well as the provision of various engineering, consulting and construction services.

The idea is to use the local potential of business and academia for the implementation of the project and to include more Bulgarian companies in the national energy development process.

Previous to that, another contract had been signed between Westinghouse and Kozloduy NPP – New Powers to study the construction of a new reactor using American technology at the site in Kozloduy, a town on the Danube River. It was a so-called "feed contract" (Front-End Engineering & Design) setting the base for preliminary engineering activities for the construction of a new reactor with American AP1000 technology.

This is a very important step in the implementation of AR1000 technology on the territory of the Kozloduy NPP,” commented Bulgarian Energy Minister Rumen Radev.

He promised that the government and the Ministry of Energy would support the project with whatever means necessary for its realization.

According to the Chairman of the Energy Commission, Delyan Dobrev, everyone is motivated by the fact that this could become the first reactor with AR1000 technology to operate in Europe.

Westinghouse representative for Bulgaria, Ivan Pironkov, pointed out that the American company continues with the diversification of the country’s energy sector through strategic partnerships with established Bulgarian companies. According to him, 2032 is a realistic deadline for operating a reactor with American technology at the site of the Kozloduy NPP.

Kenneth Merten, the US Ambassador to Bulgaria, commented that this is the first step of many to come in this process. According to him, this was a good day for the partnership between Bulgaria and the USA, as well as between Westinghouse and Bulgarian companies.

Oscar – EL deals with engineering activities in digital control and process automation. The company designs and builds electrical control systems for machines and equipment for complex energy projects.

Glavbolgarstroy specializes in the construction of energy, transport and water infrastructure, as well as residential, commercial and industrial construction projects. This is one of the largest construction groups in Bulgaria and Southeastern Europe. The company's services cover the entire life cycle of construction projects – from concept creation, planning, evaluation and design to construction, management, operation and maintenance. Over the last year, the company has been working on key energy projects in Bulgaria and the region.

Enpro Consult is one of the leading Bulgarian engineering companies with extensive experience in the field of industrial technologies. The company provides a variety of services - consulting, design and engineering, supplies and operation support in various branches of the energy sector, including nuclear power plants. The Bulgarian business registry shows that Enpro Consult was registered with a capital of BGN 8,000 and is owned by Energy Solutions (which has the largest share), and also by Milan Milanov, Zhechko Balabanov, Atanas Sartmajiev, Sergey Danailov. Milan Milanov represents the company on the Bulatom Board of Directors

EnergoService provides engineering services and products that meet the requirements and the highest safety standards of nuclear and conventional power plants. The company is among the leaders in Southern and Eastern Europe in the field of nuclear automation. EnergoService has an initial capital of BGN 50,000 and its Board of Directors includes Georgi Zdravkov Manchev, Rumen Tenev Manolov and Ekim Ekimov.

EQE was founded in Sofia in 1992 as a joint venture with EQE International (USA) to provide specialized services for safety analysis and seismic strengthening of risky and high-tech sites and facilities such as nuclear and conventional power plants, and the metallurgical and chemical industries.

Translated by Tzvetozar Vincent Iolov