Agreement signed for construction of VVERs in Bulgaria

2006-12-08

Bulgaria's NEK and Russia's Atomstroyexport signed an official agreement November 29 in Sofia on construction of two 1,000-MW VVERs at the Belene nuclear power plant, the companies announced November 30. The agreement provides for an initial stage of work lasting about a year, encompassing examination of existing equipment and structures at the site, elaboration of detailed design for a licensing application, and adaptation of the AES-92 design to the Danube River site, as well as procurement of major equipment. In parallel, a General Contract will be negotiated to cover the project's implementation and construction schedule, with signature expected in first-half 2007. Onsite work would begin after that, the companies said. (Platts,30/11/2006)