Westinghouse has announced it has signed an extension to the Front-End Engineering and Design contract for two new AP1000 reactors at Bulgaria's Kozloduy nuclear power plant.

Bulgaria's Nuclear Regulatory Agency has issued a fresh non-time-limited licence to operate the used fuel storage facility at the Kozloduy nuclear power plant.

Following its annual scheduled shutdown, Kozloduy unit 5 has been restarted with 43 Westinghouse-produced cartridges loaded into the reactor as part of its transition from Russian-supplied fuel.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev was among those marking the loading of Westinghouse VVER fuel into the country's Kozloduy nuclear power plant's unit 5, part of its supply diversification process.

A permit has been issued to begin the transition to Westinghouse fuel after the first of its supply was delivered for use in unit 5 of the Kozloduy nuclear power plant, as Bulgaria moves away from past reliance on Russian supplies.

The Bulgarian Parliament has given the go-ahead for talks to take place with Hyundai Engineering & Construction, as the sole shortlisted constructor for engineering, construction, delivery and commissioning of the new AP1000 units planned for the Kozloduy site.

French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire and Bulgaria's Energy Minister Rumen Radev have signed a declaration of intent to establish bilateral cooperation in the field of nuclear energy, including the areas of nuclear construction programmes, small modular reactors and development of a European supply chain.

South Korea's Hyundai Engineering & Construction is the only one of the five candidates deemed to have met the requirements for the construction and commissioning of two new Westinghouse AP1000 units at Bulgaria's Kozloduy nuclear power plant.

The USA and Bulgaria have signed an intergovernmental agreement to cooperate on the development of the European country's civil nuclear programme, including the plan for new units at the Kozloduy nuclear power plant.

The deadline to express an interest in the construction of the proposed two new units at the Kozloduy nuclear power plant in Bulgaria has passed, with five companies submitting applications.

Those seeking selection for the engineering, construction, procurement and commissioning of a new AP1000 unit at the Kozloduy nuclear power plant site by 2035, have until 2 February to respond to an invitation for expression of interest.

The Council of Ministers in Bulgaria has given the go-head for the construction of the new unit 7 and preparatory work for unit 8 at the Kozloduy nuclear power plant, with both to feature AP1000 reactors.