“We will exert maximum efforts to achieve the highest degree of localization for the project of Units 7 and 8 of the Kozloduy NPP. I am sure this will only be the beginning for the local ecosystem, which will then support all our projects worldwide.”
This was stated by Ivan Pironkov, Managing Director of Westinghouse Bulgaria and ICS Customer Solutions Manager, during the panel “Nuclear Energy and Innovation – Europe’s Low-Carbon Energy Test” at the Green Transition Forum 6.0 – the largest platform in Central and Eastern Europe for discussions on sustainable development and economic transformation.
GTF 6.0 is organized by Dir.bg and took place from June 1 to June 5 in Sofia. Over the years, it has established itself as the premier conference in an Eastern European capital, gathering global leaders, leading economists, and industry representatives to discuss the necessity of profound reforms.
Alongside Pironkov, the panel – moderated by Kostadin Sirleshtov, Managing Partner at CMS – featured: Petyo Ivanov, Executive Director of “Kozloduy NPP – New Build”, Daesung Kim, Hyundai Engineering & Construction, Bogomil Manchev, Chairman of the Bulgarian Atomic Forum (Bulatom), Joanna Drake, Deputy Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General (DG) for Research and Innovation (DG RTD), Günter Kraft, Chief Government Relations and Communications Officer at Focused Energy, and Olga Bakardzhieva, EU Director of the Fusion Industry Association.
During the forum, Mr. Pironkov provided a detailed review of the current progress on the construction of the new nuclear capacities at the Kozloduy site. He pointed out that the past year was filled with challenges, but the joint efforts with partner Hyundai and “Kozloduy NPP – New Build” to structure the project and develop the overall conceptual design for the new nuclear power plant have yielded substantial results.
“The results of the engineering services contract, which is already nearing the finish line, are quite impressive, especially considering the ambitious schedule of only 12 months that we set for its execution”, he noted.
As a key priority for Westinghouse, the Executive Director highlighted the maximum integration of Bulgarian companies in the execution of the main project for constructing the new nuclear units. To this end, a large-scale survey of the Bulgarian industry was conducted over the past year to define the exact scope of activities that can be realized in Bulgaria.
According to Pironkov, the ambition for broad local participation meets the expectations of all stakeholders in the country. At the same time, the process will require additional qualification and the implementation of the highest quality and safety standards from all local suppliers, which are mandatory for all companies operating in the nuclear industry.
“The process of entering the nuclear industry is quite challenging and requires time and effort. This is due to the exceptionally high quality standards required of these companies – whether they supply components and services related or unrelated to nuclear safety”, Mr. Pironkov explained.
Westinghouse has already launched the qualification process for two major Bulgarian companies, which are being qualified not only for this specific project but also for other ongoing projects of the company in the European market. Upon successful evaluation, the first one will have the opportunity to manufacture and supply part of the structural modules specific to the AP1000 technology.
The second company is a long-standing partner of Westinghouse in the Instrumentation and Control (I&C) systems segment, currently undergoing qualification as an approved supplier for new nuclear power projects. In parallel, over 30 memorandums of understanding (MoUs) have been signed with other Bulgarian firms. Their initial evaluation is expected to be completed by the end of the year with the goal of including them in the company’s global list of approved vendors.
Ivan Pironkov recalled Westinghouse’s long-term commitment, having been present in Bulgaria for over 30 years. He emphasized that all projects executed by the company in the country have been completed on time and within the initially set budget, expressing confidence that this will also be the case for the project to build the new units at the Kozloduy site. As an example of successful localization, he pointed to the past modernization program of Units 5 and 6 at the Kozloduy NPP, where the sharing of technological expertise and knowledge enabled Bulgarian firms to enter the global nuclear market.
An important highlight of his speech was the activity of the Westinghouse I&C Center of Excellence for the EMEA region, opened in Sofia in 2009. Pironkov explained that it employs a highly skilled engineering team that designs, implements, and supports complex process control systems for NPPs operating in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, including countries such as Switzerland, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, Belgium, and South Africa.
“Bulgaria is seen not only as a great place to do business but is also perceived by our clients around the world as one of the best locations in terms of engineering capacity and local expertise”, said the Managing Director of Westinghouse Bulgaria.
As another successful example of collaboration with Bulgarian industry and science, he pointed to the licensing of nuclear fuel for Unit 5 of the Kozloduy NPP. Over 35% of the safety analyses for this project – strategic for the diversification of nuclear fuel supply in Bulgaria – were performed by a Bulgarian company with an exceptional level of engineering experience and qualification. Their work successfully demonstrated the safety of Westinghouse nuclear fuel for use at the Kozloduy NPP.
In conclusion, Ivan Pironkov assured that Westinghouse will continue to make all necessary efforts to expand industrial partnerships in Bulgaria, turning the project to build new nuclear capacities using AP1000 technology into a true springboard for Bulgarian business onto the global stage.