The Bulgarian Nuclear Regulatory Agency (BNRA) announced that the nuclear power plant Kozloduy has applied for a new type of fuel which should be delivered under a contract with Westinghouse. NPP Kozloduy has requested the licence for the US company’s Robust Westinghouse Fuel Assembly (RWFA) fuel type. The RWFA fuel produced by Westinghouse is compatible with Kozloduy’s VVER-1000 reactors. The fuel has been in use in six VVER-1000 units in Ukraine since 2018.
Ivan Pironkov, a Westinghouse country manager for Bulgaria, said that the next nine months will be of critical importance for the Bulgarian regulator to perform a review of the safety analysis reports and release permission for the fuel load on NPP Kozloduy’s unit.
In April, Westinghouse signed contracts for the delivery of uranium material with the Cameco and Urenco corporations. These contracts are a sign of partnership and readiness to provide a reliable and secure nuclear fuel supply for Bulgaria’s sole nuclear power plant, Kozloduy.
The deliveries under the contracts will be used by Westinghouse for the production and supply of fresh nuclear fuel for Kozloduy’s unit 5 as of 2024. The uranium material will be delivered to Westinghouse’s factory in Sweden, where it will be used in the process of producing fresh nuclear fuel cassettes.
