Bulgaria will be the first country in Europe to have a functional AP1000 nuclear reactor, declared Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov during a forum organized by Westinghouse in Sofia. He added that the country already has an approved location and an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the project, while work is currently underway for financing and coordination with the European Commission.
Stankov also reported that he held a conversation on Monday with U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright about investment opportunities in the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant. According to him, Bulgaria should “take advantage of the opportunity offered by projects like Units 7 and 8 at Kozloduy,” 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 perhaps the future.”
According to the Minister of Energy, 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 in the country,” stressed Stankov.
