Bulgaria’s BEH to Hold Talks With Toshiba Corp on New NPP Unit

The state-owned Bulgarian Energy Holding (BEH) will hold talks with Japanese multinational engineering company Toshiba Corporation on becoming a strategic investor in the construction of a new unit at Bulgaria's sole nuclear power plant (NPP), the government in Sofia said on Wednesday.

The AP1000, Generation III+ technology of U.S.- based Westinghouse Electric Company will be used in the construction of the new unit at Kozloduy NPP, on the Danube, the government said in a statement.

Economy and energy minister Dragomir Stoynev will organise, coordinate and oversee the negotiations on the project's structure and financing, the government added.

The Kozloduy NPP operates two 1,000 megawatt (MW) units. In early 2012, the government in Sofia decided to add a new 1,000 MW unit to the plant, instead of building a 2,000 MW NPP from scratch in another Danubian town, Belene.

Last month, speaking upon his return from a visit to the U.S. where he got acquainted with the Westinghouse technology, Stoynev said he would recommend to the government to open talks with the US company. The reactor would have a lifespan of 60 years, with an option to be extended by another 20 years at least. The energy minister also said that U.S. lender Ex-Im Bank is interested in proving part of the funds for the project, and that construction works could begin by 2016 at the earliest.

Source: SeeNews