China Said to Eye New Unit at Bulgaria's Kozloduy N-Plant

China's National Nuclear Corporation has reportedly voiced interest in the building of a seventh unit at Bulgaria's Kozloduy nuclear power plant, the closure of which was one of the conditions for the country's EU accession.

Representatives of the company have visited the site of the nuclear plant at the beginning of this week, local Standard daily reported, citing undisclosed sources.

Bulgaria's new center-right government of GERB party announced at the end of November last year that it is considering the construction of a new 1 000 MW nuclear unit at Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant.

Russia and Japan's Toshiba Corp.have declared interest in project, according to unofficial reports, which surfaced after Special Envoy of the United States Secretary of State for Eurasian Energy, Richard Morningstar, made it clear that American companies are likely bidders in the nuclear energy sector here.

Experts have commented that the participation of American companies will ease Russia's grip on Bulgaria's energy sector.

Bulgaria's only nuclear plant Kozloduy has two 1,000 MW operating units left since the closure of Soviet-designed reactors 1 to 4 was one of the conditions for its entry in the European bloc.

Hit worst by the Russia-Ukraine gas dispute at the beginning of 2009, Bulgaria was poised to restart one of the nuclear reactors at its Kozloduy nuclear power plant, but abandoned the idea when faced with Brussles' vehement opposition.