24.09.2025
The Bulgarian Government is exploring the possibility to deploy small modular reactors (SMRs). This was announced after the meeting of Prime Minister Rossen Jeliazkov with the Chief Corporate Officer Roger Martella of General Electric Vernova. The discussion was held in New York and was attended by the Minister of Energy Zhecho Stankov, the Chief Executive Officer of the Bulgarian Energy Holding (BEH) Valentin Nikolov, the Executive Director of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant – New Builds EAD Petyo Ivanov and Members of Parliament. At the meeting Prime Minister Rossen Jeliazkov recalled that the first step on this path was the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed on 22 August 2024 between the Bulgarian Energy Holding and the GE-Hitachi Nuclear Energy International LLC, which explores the potential development of the BWRX-300 reactor plant project in Bulgaria.
The future deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs) in Bulgaria will add to the current project to build two Westinghouse AP1000 units at the Kozloduy NPP site and will further enhance Bulgaria’s leadership among the nuclear countries of Southeastern Europe. The Government recognizes the role of small modular reactors (SMRs) as an emerging technology that can ensure long-term stability, predictability, affordability and low-emission baseload power generation.
During the discussion, Prime Minister Rossen Jeliazkov gave prominence to Bulgaria’s significant experience in operating its existing nuclear power plant in addition to regulatory experience, skilled manpower and training programs.
The meeting touched on other projects for cooperation with General Electric such as new pumped storage hydro power plants and cogeneration plants. A future plant would be a key prospect that would save the role of the facility as a power hub in the country and the region.
