Bulgaria will become the first country in Europe to operate an AP1000 nuclear reactor, Energy Minister Zetso Stankov said during a conference organized by the US company Westinghouse in Sofia. He added that the country already has an approved location and environmental impact study (EIA) on the project, and work is ongoing to fund and coordinate with the European Commission.

Zetso Stankov also said that on Monday he talked to US Energy Minister Chris Wright on investment opportunities at the Kozlondui nuclear plant. He emphasized that the Bulgarian state must “seize the opportunity offered by projects such as units 7 and 8 of the Kozlondui nuclear plant” and has clearly stated that Bulgarian companies must participate in the project. He welcomed the signing of many memoranda on Monday, which will give Bulgarian companies the opportunity to participate in what he described as “the biggest work of the decade – probably the next”.

According to the Bulgarian Minister of Energy, the new units will create the conditions for the repatriation of Bulgarian experts with international experience. “In its full operation, the nuclear plant will employ about 10,000 workers,” Stankov noted.