Bulgaria to Launch Europe’s First AP1000 Nuclear Reactor

Bulgaria will be the first country in Europe to have a functional AP1000 reactor, announced Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov during a forum organized by the Westinghouse company in Sofia. He added that the country already has an approved site and an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the project, while work is currently underway on financing and coordination with the European Commission, CE Report quotes Kosova Press.

Stankov also reported that on Monday he had a conversation with U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright regarding investment opportunities in the Kozloduy nuclear power plant. According to him, Bulgaria must “take advantage of the opportunity offered by projects like Units 7 and 8 of the Kozloduy plant,” emphasizing that Bulgarian companies should be part of the project. He welcomed the signing of numerous memorandums on Monday, which, according to him, will give Bulgarian firms the opportunity to participate in what he called “the biggest project of this decade – and possibly of the future.”

According to the Energy Minister, the new units will create conditions for the return of Bulgarian experts with international experience. “At the peak of construction, around 10,000 people will be employed at this site,” Stankov emphasized.