SOFIA, Bulgaria--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Westinghouse Electric Company today signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with 17 significant Bulgarian suppliers to support the upcoming AP1000® nuclear projects at the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant site in northern Bulgaria, and other projects throughout the region. This milestone is a result of ongoing engagement with local suppliers following the Westinghouse Supplier Symposium held in February 2024 with Bulgarian companies.
The signed MOUs outline the potential for manufacturing of key components, including large structural modules, cranes, heat exchangers and pressure vessels, as well as providing various engineering, transportation, consulting and construction services. The suppliers are Atomenergoremont JSC; Bulmachinery Enterprises Ltd.; Bureau Veritas Bulgaria; Centralna Energoremontna Baza EAD; ELIA AD; Energoremont-Galabovo AD; Himmash JSC; Industrial Parts Ltd.; KMC JSC; Kranostroene Engineering LTD; MTG-Dolphin PLC; PODEMCRANE AD; Tia Logistics LTD; TM INOX Ltd.; Biomashinostroene AD; Bularmex-IK JSCo; and Micromet AD.
“Ensuring high localization of work on the AP1000 project at Kozloduy remains a crucial objective,” said Petyo Ivanov, Executive Director of Kozloduy NPP New Built Company. “We celebrate today’s announcement and these impressive local suppliers, whose partnerships represent another step toward bringing additional advanced, nuclear technology online in Bulgaria and emphasize the economic impact that the project will have for our country and its people. We expect these Bulgarian companies to become a vital part of the Westinghouse worldwide supply chain, more specifically for all their European new built projects.”
“Westinghouse has a robust supply chain network across the world, and we are pleased to further expand that with additional, experienced and local Bulgarian suppliers to support the successful delivery of two AP1000 reactors at the Kozloduy site,” said David Durham, President of Westinghouse Energy Systems. “Growth of our local and qualified supplier network in addition to the critical progress we are making on our front-end engineering and design contract for this project are important steps that help us to pave the way to bring a clean energy future to Bulgaria for generations to come.”
Westinghouse was awarded a front-end engineering and design contract with Kozloduy NPP-Newbuild project for its AP1000 technology in June 2023. In October 2023, Westinghouse signed MOUs with five other Bulgarian suppliers for Kozloduy and other European projects, including for the manufacture of instrumentation and controls (I&C) systems, radiation monitoring systems and various services.
The AP1000 reactor is the only operating Generation III+ reactor with fully passive safety systems, modular construction design and the smallest footprint per MWe on the market. In the U.S., at the Vogtle site in Georgia, one AP1000 unit is in commercial operation while a second unit is projected to come online during the second quarter of 2024. Four AP1000 reactors are currently setting operational performance and availability records in China with eight additional reactors under construction. It has been selected for the nuclear energy programs in Poland, Ukraine and Bulgaria, and is also under consideration at multiple other sites in Central and Eastern Europe, the UK, India and North America.
Westinghouse Electric Company is shaping the future of carbon-free energy by providing safe, innovative nuclear and other clean power technologies and services 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 makes 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 X.