The Bulgarian Energy Holding (BEH) has opened a procedure for the preparation of a roadmap for building new nuclear capacity at the Kozloduy nuclear power plant.

The procedure will be awarded by direct agreement, according to a media statement of BEH, as cited by investor.bg.

An opportunity will be sought to implement the investment plan as an international project.

In early October, Bulgaria's Ministry of Environment and Water issued a positive statement on the environmental impact assessment (EIA) report on the project for a new unit at the Kozloduy NPP.

In the summer of 2013, the Nuclear Regulatory Agency issued a permit for a site to be sought for new capacity at the Kozloduy NPP.

At the end of last week, it emerged that BEH was issuing bonds worth over EUR 1 B.

The company managed to raise EUR 500 M through 4-year bonds and it expects to receive another EUR 620 M at an interest rate of 4.25% from Gazprom. The loan from the Russian energy giant is related to the implementation of the South Stream gas pipeline project.

The issue of a new unit at the Kozloduy NPP came up after the project for the construction of the Belene NPP was frozen by the center-right GERB government.

The government headed by former Prime Minister Boyko Borisov stopped the implementation of the project over its high cost and decided to mount the reactor produced for the purpose at the Kozloduy NPP site.

Meanwhile, Bulgaria is also striving to get an extension of the life of units 5, 6 of the Kozloduy NPP.

A consortium of Russian Rosatomenergo and French Electricite de France are inspecting and evaluating the equipment and facilities at the two units and their report is to be published by mid-2014.

The license of unit 5 of the Kozloduy NPP expires in November 2017 and that of unit 6 in October 2019.

An inspection of a delegation of the European Parliament a week ago showed that steps were underway for the decommissioning of units 1-4 of the Kozloduy N-plant.