The Project

Kozloduy NPP – New Builds PLC organizes and manages the entire process of feasibility research, design, construction and commissioning of nuclear power plant of latest generation (III or III +) at the site of Kozloduy NPP.

The concept for the construction of new nuclear power capacity on the site of Kozloduy NPP after depletion of the operational resource of units 1 to 4 dates back to the beginning of 80 years of the last century. During the construction of the 5 and 6 units were inspected three potential sites for new units. This concept has been repeatedly considered, in particular in the context of the premature decommissioning of units 1 to 4 related to EU accession.

The last preliminary study on the feasibility of possible new construction of nuclear units on the site of Kozloduy was carried out in 2009 by leading European companies. The study confirms the economic feasibility of constructing one or two new units using the available assets of the NPP, such as electrical and technical infrastructure, existing reliable system for radiation monitoring, operational contingency plan, availability of facilities for the secondary processing of radioactive waste and storage of spent fuel, availability of qualified and experienced personnel, planned construction of a national repository for low-and medium-active waste in near Kozloduy NPP, etc. The study concludes that a nuclear capacity of new generation could partly offset the closure of units 1 to 4 (1760 MW), ensuring a reliable source of electricity. The use of the site “Kozloduy NPP” allows to fully and effectively utilise the infrastructure of Kozloduy NPP (which after the closure of units 1 to 4 is used only up to 50%), thus achieving a reduction in the initial Investments and optimising the conditions of their return.

The construction and commissioning of new nuclear power plant at the site of Kozloduy NPP will contribute to the achievement of the following objectives over a long time horizon of about 60 years:

• Cost-effective and efficient use of the full capacity and capabilities of the available infrastructure on the site of Kozloduy NPP;
• Direct and indirect increase of the employment of the population in northwestern Bulgaria;
• Preserving the scientific and technical potential of the Republic of Bulgaria in the field of the use of advanced technologies and strong incentive for the growth of the Bulgarian economy;
• Possibility for export of electricity to the countries of the Balkan region and south-eastern Europe;
• Providing a secure supply of energy, subject to the expansion of the peaceful use of nuclear energy in a way that ensures nuclear safety and security and minimizes the risk of nuclear material spreading;
• Significant reduction of overall greenhouse gas emissions through the development of nuclear energy along with the implementation of other effective measures such as energy storage, improvement of energy efficiency and increased use of renewable energy sources;
• Implementation of the energy strategy of the Republic of Bulgaria until 2020 (c) in the part promoting the development of nuclear energy.