Kozloduy NPP gets first delivery of Westinghouse nuclear fuel

In January, the plant received a permit from Bulgaria's nuclear energy regulator to store Westinghouse Electric's fresh Robust Westinghouse Fuel Assembly fuel type on-site.

The Nuclear Regulatory Agency is expected to grant Kozloduy NPP on Monday a permit to use the fuel, the government said in a press release over the weekend.

"We plan to gradually load the first 43 cartridges of fresh nuclear fuel produced by Westinghouse in Unit 5 of Kozloduy NPP in May," energy minister Vladimir Malinov said.

In December 2022, Kozloduy signed a deal with French company Framatome for the supply of fresh nuclear fuel for its other operating reactor, Unit 6.

Earlier this month, Westinghouse Electric signed memoranda of understanding with 17 Bulgarian suppliers for their participation in the construction of two new reactors using Westinghouse's AP1000 technology at Kozloduy NPP.

Kozloduy, Bulgaria's sole nuclear power plant, operates two Soviet-made reactors of 1,000 MW each, which receive fresh nuclear fuel from Russia's TVEL. The operational licences of these units will expire in 2027 and 2029, respectively.