Westinghouse begins studies to see if it can supply fresh nuclear fuel for Kozloduy NPP Unit 6

Westinghouse Electric Company begins studies to supply fresh nuclear fuel for Kozloduy NPP Unit 6. The document for the start of the analyses was signed today by Ivan Andreev, CEO of Kozloduy NPP, and Tarik Chokho, President of Nuclear Fuel at Westinghouse Electric Company. The ceremony will be attended by Westinghouse Electric Company CEO and President Patrick Fragman, the company’s Senior Vice President Aziz Dag, and Energy Minister Vladimir Malinov.

This key agreement ensures fuel diversification for Unit 6 and follows the delivery of VVER-1000 fuel assemblies for the first refueling of Unit 5 at Kozloduy NPP earlier this year, a significant milestone for Bulgaria as the plant celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

The first test assemblies are scheduled to be installed in Unit 6 in 2026, but there will be no complete fuel replacement. The purpose of the analyses is to show how compatible Westinghouse’s fresh fuel is with the current Russian fuel assemblies that Unit 6 has been operating with for over 30 years. We remind you that from next year the French company Framatome is expected to start supplying fresh nuclear fuel to Unit 6 at the Kozloduy NPP. The company has signed a ten-year contract for the supply of fuel. The tests of Westinghouse that are now starting do not in any way affect the long-term contract, because they are tests. The purpose of the study is to enable our country to have a choice of suppliers for fresh nuclear fuel, explained Energy Minister Vladimir Malinov during the ceremony.

“The signing of the contract with Westinghouse marks a new key step in our continuous efforts to diversify the supply of nuclear fuel for the Kozloduy NPP,” said Energy Minister Vladimir Malinov. "The partnership between Kozloduy NPP and a world leader in nuclear technologies such as Westinghouse is a guarantee for the country's energy security," he added. "Thanks to the fruitful cooperation with our American partners, we have made enormous progress in our common goal - to make Bulgaria's energy independent," stressed Minister Malinov.

We have been working and partnering at Kozloduy NPP for years on management and control systems, then we started with fuel diversification, and now with the project for new nuclear units. The Westinghouse company offers only Western conditions and technologies for the supply of nuclear fuel. This became clear from the words of the executive director Patrick Fragman. He congratulated the teams of Kozloduy NPP, Westinghouse and the Nuclear Regulatory Agency on the occasion of the enormous progress in licensing the American fuel for VVER units in Kozloduy. Fragman himself recalled that the fuel is already being used in Unit Five. of the Kozloduy NPP, as the process of replacing the Russian cartridges will last about four years. Westinghouse fuel has been successfully operating in Ukrainian nuclear units for years, Fragman recalled. It is planned that tests for a new type of fuel for Unit Six will last 48 months.

New nuclear unit in 2034

Fragman also touched on the topic of building new nuclear units at the Kozloduy site with AP 1000 technology. According to him, this is an extremely advanced innovative technology and all teams are working hard to implement the project for Unit Seven at the NPP. This will also be the first unit with AP 1000 technology to be connected to the European electricity system in 2034, Fragman was categorical.

Energy Minister Vladimir Malinov said that the next 2025 will be a busy year for our country, because the necessary analyses and procedures must be carried out in order to reach a final investment decision on the financing and construction of Unit 7 of the Kozloduy NPP. This decision must be presented to the National Assembly, as the deputies will have the final say on the future of the project. In parallel, the preparation of the environmental impact assessment and the construction of Unit 8 at the Kozloduy NPP is currently underway. When it is completed, it will be possible to say with greater accuracy in what terms the second unit can be built. The project is being developed by the Kozloduy NPP - New Power Company. Energy Minister Vladimir Malinov wished that the new nuclear unit would even be ready in 2032 or 2033. The contractor for the construction activities will be the South Korean Hyundai Engineering & Construction, which has already signed a partnership agreement with Westinghouse.

It is our honor to support you on this journey to ensure the country's energy security, thank you for your trust, mutual work, you can count on us to achieve your energy security goals. The future is electricity and we are striving for it, Fragman also said.

Kozloduy NPP is the only nuclear power plant in Bulgaria. Units 5 and 6 have a total installed capacity of 2GW and supply approximately one third of the country's electricity. These units have been modernized to extend their operational life by 30 years each.

Westinghouse is a leading nuclear fuel supplier, providing a uniquely diversified portfolio in the industry for various types of nuclear reactors, including pressurized water reactors, boiling water reactors, advanced gas-cooled reactors and water-water power reactors. Through world-class manufacturing facilities in Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States, the company delivers innovative fuel technologies to meet customer needs for lower fuel cycle costs, increased operational flexibility and efficiency, supply diversification and disaster-resistant products.