Under bilateral cooperation established in the energy field last year, more expert missions are scheduled for the coming months, the statement said.
The ministry said that during a recent visit to Washington, Bulgarian energy minister Temenuzhka Petkova discussed the licensing process for US-made nuclear fuel, seen as a way to diversify fuel supplies to Bulgaria’s Kozloduy nuclear power station.
In March 2019, Kozloduy told NucNet it had asked Westinghouse Electric Sweden, a subsidiary of US-based Westinghouse, to provide technical and economic justification for the licensing and use of its improved nuclear fuel at the station operating two VVER-1000 units.
In November 2019, US president Donald Trump and Bulgarian prime minister Boyko Borissov, who was visiting the US, said they wanted to cooperate on “diversifying the nuclear energy sector”, but shared the view of only developing energy projects which had a clear economic basis or commercial need.
They said their two countries will work together to improve Bulgaria’s energy security by supporting the licensing and use of US nuclear fuel for the Kozloduy nuclear power station.
Bulgaria plans to build a second Russia-supplied nuclear power station at Belene, about 160 km east of Kozloduy, but has yet to establish an investment model.
Seven companies have applied to be strategic investors in Belene, Ms Petkova announced in August.
General Electric of the US expressed its readiness to supply equipment and help in the financial structuring of the project, without investing capital. GE is hoping to participate through its Steam Power business which is pursuing the Belene project as an equipment supplier with its Arabelle steam turbine technology.
