The South Korean construction company will add two new reactors, each with a capacity of 2,200MW, within the power plant site, with the selection of the final contractor expected in April this year, after negotiations with the client, KNPP-NB
Hyundai building, Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea. (Credit: Marcopolis at English Wikipedia)
South Korea-based construction company Hyundai Engineering & Construction (Hyundai E&C) has been selected as the preferred bidder for a major nuclear power plant project in Bulgaria.
Hyundai E&C has passed the pre-qualification assessment for the new project, dubbed the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant, and obtained approval from the Bulgarian parliament.
The Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant site is located around 200km north of the capital city, Sofia.
As a preferred bidder, the South Korean company will add two new reactors, each with a capacity of 2,200MW, within the power plant site.
The final contractor selection is expected to take place in April this year, after negotiations with the client, Bulgaria’s Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant-New Builds (KNPP-NB).
Constructed in 1969, the Kozloduy nuclear power plant was Bulgaria’s first nuclear power plant and accounts for one-third of the country’s electricity production.
The power plant’s Units 1 to 4 were closed due to ageing issues, and currently, Units 5 and 6, the pressurized water reactor (PWR) models developed in Russia, are operational.
The newly confirmed Units 7 and 8 are planned to feature the AP1000 model, which is anticipated to begin operations by 2035.
In this bidding process, Hyundai E&C emerged as the sole contractor to meet all rigorous prerequisites, among other companies including Bechtel and Fluor.
Hyundai E&C is a top global nuclear construction company that has been strengthening the position of South Korea’s nuclear power industry.
The company recently signed an exclusive contract with US-based nuclear power company Holtec and has embarked on the design process for the first small modular reactor (SMR) in the United States, making it the first domestic construction company to do so.
In addition to large nuclear projects, Hyundai E&C is expanding across the entire life cycle of nuclear power, including SMRs, nuclear decommissioning, and post-use nuclear fuel facilities.
Furthermore, the company has been designated as a preferred bidder in a major overseas nuclear plant project after 15 years.
In 2009, a consortium led by Hyundai E&C secured the contract for constructing four nuclear reactors in Barakah, located 270km west of Abu Dhabi.