Bulgaria’s caretaker government is to begin work towards the deployment of a Westinghouse-made AP1000 pressurised water reactor plant at the existing Kozloduy site and to begin an environmental impact assessment for a second unit.

A motion passed by parliament last week said the cabinet should negotiate with the US government on concluding a bilateral agreement which would lead to the construction of a new seventh unit at Kozloduy, using the AP1000 Gen III PWR design.

Bulgaria has two Russia-designed VVER-1000 PWR units in commercial operation at Kozloduy on the Danube River in the north of the country. 

The two plants, inherited from the socialist era, provide about one-third of the country’s electricity. Units 1 to 4 at the station are all in permanent shutdown.

Parliament wants the caretaker energy minister to “take all necessary action” by 1 March 2023 to issue a decision on the construction of the proposed new Kozloduy unit. The decision is to be presented to parliament for a final review.