Bulgaria’s MTG-Dolphin AD has been contracted by Westinghouse Electric Company to support the construction of two AP1000 reactors (units 7&8) at the Kozloduy NPP site. The contract covers the development of the Nuclear Quality Assurance Programme (NQA-1) focused on embedding a nuclear safety culture, as well as preparation of engineering documentation necessary for producing a mock-up and potentially manufacturing a structural module of the AP1000 design. This cooperation not only supports the Kozloduy project but also opens doors for MTG-Dolphin AD to engage in other Westinghouse projects across Europe and beyond.
Svetlin Stoyanov, CEO of MTG-Dolphin AD, expressed pride in the company’s role, noting that their involvement underscores the strength and industrial potential of Bulgaria. He affirmed their dedication to contributing to Bulgaria’s nuclear future and to the successful realisation of new capacity at Kozloduy, as well as future projects across the continent.
Dan Lipman, President of Westinghouse Power Systems business unit, stressed the importance of developing a network of highly qualified Bulgarian suppliers. “This strategy aims not only to ensure timely and budget-compliant project delivery but also to generate significant local economic benefits and job creation during the construction phase and the decades of operation to follow,” Westinghouse said.
Westinghouse added that it has signed memoranda of understanding with 30 Bulgarian suppliers to support the AP1000 Kozloduy initiative. “These partnerships are intended to offer ongoing opportunities for Bulgarian companies within other nuclear projects utilising AP1000 technology across Europe and globally.”
In February 2024, Bulgaria and the US signed a formal agreement to collaborate on the construction of two new units at the Kozloduy NPP (7&8). In January 2023, the Bulgarian Parliament by a majority vote decided on the need to build two new reactors using AP1000 technology. The following March, Kozloduy NPP subsidiary, Kozloduy NPP-Newbuild (KZNPP-NM – Kozloduy NPP Novi Mostnosti) and Westinghouse set up a joint working group to plan deployment of the AP1000 reactor in Bulgaria.
In June 2023, Westinghouse signed a Front-End Engineering & Design (FEED) contract with KZNPP-NM for a AP1000 reactor to be constructed at the Kozloduy NPP site. Hyundai E&C, part of Hyundai Corporation was subsequently selected to undertake the construction. The aim is for unit 7 to be operational in 2035 and unit 8 in 2037.
Currently, Kozloduy NPP operates two Soviet-built VVER-1000 reactors (units 5&6). Bulgaria was obliged to close four older VVER-440 units as a condition for accession to the European Union, even though the units had undergone significant safety upgrades.
