Bulgaria breaks with tradition: First Westinghouse fuel arrives at Kozloduy

The first fuel shipment produced by Westinghouse Electric arrived at the Kozloduy nuclear power plant in Bulgaria, marking the first step towards diversifying the plant's fuel supplies. Since its inception in 1974, Russia has been the plant's sole supplier.

Operators at the plant have already begun loading Westinghouse fuel into one of the two operating reactors. So far, a quarter of the necessary fuel has arrived in Bulgaria, with the remainder still coming from Russia.

The country's relevant institutions have issued the necessary permits to license and use Western fuel in the reactor. Negotiations to diversify supply sources have been ongoing for several years, with the diversification process starting in 2019.

However, this step does not signify an end to Bulgaria's plans. On the contrary, it is merely the beginning of efforts to diversify the fuel supply sources for the power plant.

The second reactor will use fuel from the French company Framatome, but the first shipments are expected to arrive in Bulgaria in a year and a half, as the plant currently has sufficient supplies. It's also important to note that Framatome's fuel is produced under a Russian license.

The Kozloduy plant began operations in 1974. Before Bulgaria joined the European Union, it operated six reactors, but four were shut down before its accession.

Plans to construct a second nuclear power plant at Belene, including a specific project proposal, had long existed, but the country ultimately abandoned this idea. However, the authorities are exploring the possibility of building new reactors at Kozloduy under a Westinghouse license.