A new contract tied to the future construction of Kozloduy NPP’s seventh and eighth units was signed at the Council of Ministers between Kozloduy NPP–New Power Plants and the LEP-BWXT-CNPSA consortium. Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov described the agreement as a milestone, calling the project the most significant undertaking not only for the current decade but also for the next one.

Stankov noted that while the major IPC contract is expected to be finalized next year, today’s agreement is the next most important step in the overall timeline. He highlighted that the Canadian-led consortium has so far met expectations in terms of quality, deadlines and budget discipline. According to him, the partnership reflects the parliamentary decision assigning the Westinghouse–Hyundai consortium to supply technology and construct Units 7 and 8, with the newly signed contract reinforcing the framework needed to reach the end goal.

The minister added that Bulgaria’s interest extends beyond large-scale reactors. He said both the state and local businesses see potential in small modular nuclear technologies and expressed confidence that alongside completing Units 7 and 8, Bulgaria will make progress toward introducing modular reactors domestically and potentially across the Balkans.

The signing ceremony was attended by senior officials, including Stankov, Ontario’s Minister of Energy and Mining Stephen Lecce, the Canadian Ambassador to Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova Gavin Buchan, the acting US Ambassador to Bulgaria Martin McDowell and representatives from energy-sector organizations and businesses.

The consortium, dominated by Canadian companies, will support Bulgaria in overseeing investor control and supervising activities such as design, procurement, construction and commissioning of the new nuclear units, as well as the initial engineering phase.

Building Units 7 and 8 at Kozloduy remains central to Bulgaria’s long-term energy security strategy and is seen as a project with regional importance for Southeastern Europe.