Bulgaria shortlists Hyundai E&C to build new reactor at Kozloduy NPP

The remaining candidates are Dutch-based Fluor B.V., US-based Bechtel Nuclear Power, a consortium of China National Nuclear Corporation Overseas and China Energy Engineering Group Tianjin Electric Power Construction, as well as China Energy Engineering Corporation, Kozloduy NPP-New Build said in a statement.

The decision comes after a commission reviewed the candidates' qualifications on a pass-or-fail basis during February 8-12.

Applicants were required to have experience in constructing and commissioning at least two nuclear units, along with designing nuclear or turbine island systems and supplying and installing equipment for at least two nuclear reactors in the last 15 years, the project company said earlier. They also had to show a turnover of at least $6 billion (5.6 billion euro) between 2018 and 2022.

Hyundai E&C will be able to submit its offer in a separate new procedure.

The first new AP1000 plant is slated to be operational before 2035, with Westinghouse overseeing the overall design authority while delegating responsibilities for the design of individual plant systems and buildings.

In December, the Bulgarian parliament approved a government proposal to allocate up to 1.5 billion levs ($823.9 million/766.9 million euro) to Kozloduy NPP for the construction of two new reactors using the AP1000 technology. Earlier this week, Bulgaria's energy minister Rumen Radev said he expects the two reactors to cost up to $14 billion in total.

Kozloduy, Bulgaria's sole nuclear power plant, currently operates two Russian-designed VVER-1000 reactors of 1000 MW each, with their operational licences set to expire in 2027 and 2029, respectively.

($ = 0.9287 euro)