Dec 22, 2022   SOURCE: BusinessWire

Westinghouse’s VVER-1000 Nuclear Fuel Fabrication Agreement Helps Cement Bulgaria’s Energy Security

Westinghouse Electric Company and Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) have signed a 10-year contract to fabricate and deliver VVER-1000 nuclear fuel for Unit 5. This new agreement guarantees reliable supply of the only fully Western option for VVER nuclear fuel fabrication.

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Georgi Kirkov, Executive Director of Kozloduy NPP, left, and Aziz Dag, Westinghouse Vice President of Fuel VVER, signed the agreement in Sofia, Bulgaria, Dec. 22, 2022. (Photo: Business Wire)

Georgi Kirkov, Executive Director of Kozloduy NPP, left, and Aziz Dag, Westinghouse Vice President of Fuel VVER, signed the agreement in Sofia, Bulgaria, Dec. 22, 2022. (Photo: Business Wire)

“We appreciate counting on Westinghouse as a business partner for this agreement, which is in line with our long-term goals of nuclear fuel diversification and security of supply,” said Mr. Georgi Kirkov, Executive Director of Kozloduy NPP.

“Westinghouse provides best-in-class fuel assemblies for VVER-type reactors. We are proud to support Bulgaria on its path to ensure diversification and energy security,” said Tarik Choho, Westinghouse President of Nuclear Fuel. “This long-term partnership will also reinforce the plant’s operational efficiency and high standards of safety.”

Westinghouse has an excellent track record of VVER nuclear fuel design used in VVER-1000 nuclear power plants in Ukraine with a decade of exceptional operational performance. The fuel will be supplied out of Westinghouse’s fabrication site in Västerås, Sweden and is the only fully independent alternative to Russian supply.

KNPP is the only nuclear power plant in Bulgaria and the largest in the region. Units 5 and 6 have a total installed capacity of 2GW and supply approximately one-third of the country's electricity. These units have been upgraded and modernized to extend their operational lives by 30 years each.

Westinghouse Electric Company is shaping the future of carbon-free energy by providing safe, innovative nuclear technologies to utilities globally. Westinghouse supplied the world’s first commercial pressurized water reactor in 1957 and the company’s technology is the basis for nearly one-half of the world's operating nuclear plants. Over 135 years of innovation make Westinghouse the preferred partner for advanced technologies covering the complete nuclear energy life cycle. For more information, visit www.westinghousenuclear.com and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.