Westinghouse Electric Company has recently entered into a Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) agreement with Kozloduy NPP-Newbuild, a Bulgarian organization. The purpose of this contract is to construct a cutting-edge AP1000® reactor at the Kozloduy site. The project will involve an assessment of the Bulgarian industry and the existing infrastructure to determine their suitability for supporting the construction of this advanced reactor.
David Durham, the Energy Systems President for Westinghouse, expressed his delight in initiating this project that aims to provide clean and dependable baseload energy to the people of Bulgaria. He thanked Kozloduy NPP-Newbuild and the Bulgarian Parliament for their confidence in Westinghouse's exceptional technology. Furthermore, he commended Kozloduy NPP-Newbuild for their meticulous approach to project delivery, ensuring a high degree of localization in their work.
Earlier this year, both parties established a joint working group through a memorandum of understanding. The purpose of this group is to plan the deployment of the AP1000 reactor in Bulgaria. They are currently evaluating regulatory, licensing, and design requirements while developing an efficient execution strategy that aligns with Bulgaria's energy strategy. The FEED contract marks the initial step toward the realization of the AP1000 reactor project.
Currently, the Kozloduy site is home to two Russian-designed VVER-1000 reactors. In December 2022, Westinghouse secured a 10-year agreement to supply nuclear fuel to one of these units, starting in 2024. It's worth noting that Westinghouse's fuel supply is the sole Western alternative to the Russian supply and will be sourced from their fabrication site in Västerås, Sweden.
Distinguished by its advanced features, the AP1000 reactor stands out as the sole operating Generation III+ reactor with fully passive safety systems and a modular construction design. It also boasts the smallest footprint per MWe in the market. Notably, the Vogtle site in Georgia houses one operational AP1000 reactor, while another one is nearing completion. Furthermore, China is setting operational performance records with four AP1000 units, and an additional six reactors are currently under construction. Poland has also selected the AP1000 technology for its nuclear energy program, and Ukraine has announced plans for nine units. Moreover, this innovative technology is being considered for adoption at several other sites in Central and Eastern Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
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What about the two AP1000 reactors at VC Summer that were abandoned half-finished in 2016?