Westinghouse Electric Company has received a contract to perform a feasibility study on a potential seventh unit at Bulgaria’s Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant.

The required study will encompass a review of two potential designs: a reactor of VVER design utilizing equipment already purchased by the customer together with Westinghouse instrumentation and control (I&C) systems, fuel and a Toshiba Corporation turbine generator, and the construction and operation of a pressurized water reactor (PWR) 1000-1200 MW design.

The scope of the feasibility study includes an evaluation of the site, radioactive waste and spent fuel management, reuse of existing infrastructures and facilities, licensing, local economic aspects, and the profitability of the two reactor designs.

The Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant has an excellent operational and safety record, which provides a strong basis to host an additional reactor at the site, Westinghouse has pointed out in a press release.

“We look forward to assessing the potential to bring our advanced and proven I&C and fuel products for VVER reactor designs at the site,” Yves Brachet, Westinghouse president for, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, has commented.

5 companies had submitted documents to develop a project for the new Unit 7 of Bulgaria's Kozloduy NPP.

The companies were Westinghouse, French Areva, Areva in a consortium with Mistubishi, Bulgarian company Risk Engineering and Australian Worley Parsons.

The initial assesment must be ready some 7-9 months after concluding the contract; by the end of 2013 the company must choose the site for the new Unit 7.

The Bulgarian government decided to build a 7th unit at the Kozloduy NPP after in March 2012 it gave up on the construction of a second Bulgarian nuclear power plant in Belene.

Subsequently, the centrist-right GERB government decided to install the 1000 MW reactor already produced for Belene by Russian contractor Atomstroyexport, a subsidiary of Rosatom, at the existing plant in Kozloduy.

At present, only the 1000 MW units 5 and 6 are operational at the Kozloduy NPP, after Bulgaria agreed to shut down the 440 MW units 1-4 in 2002 and 2006 as part of its EU accession talks under pressure from Brussels.