Westinghouse Picks М3 Communications for Its PR Agency in Bulgaria

Leading Bulgarian PR firm М3 Communications Group, Inc. will back US-based Westinghouse Electric's efforts to move forward with planned expansion of Bulgaria's Kozloduy nuclear power plant.

"Westinghouse Electric Company today announced its decision to work with М3 Communications Group, Inc.," Sofia-based M3 Communications Group said in a statement on Wednesday.

M3 Communications Group Inc., part of Global PR leader Hill+Knowlton Strategies Group, has been active on the Bulgarian public communications market for over 20 years. In August 2014 it was awarded the prize "Best PR Agency In Europe" and the prize "Best Event Presenting a New Product" at the international business Stevie Awards.

On August 1, Westinghouse announced that, following consultations with all Bulgarian political parties, it has signed a shareholder agreement for Kozloduy's expansion through adding an AP1000 reactor to the plant. 

Westinghouse Electric, a group company of Toshiba Corporation, provide all of the equipment, design, engineering and fuel for the future Unit 7. Within the next year, Westinghouse will issue a competitive tender, in line with European Union and Bulgarian public procurement rules, for the construction of Unit 7. The AP1000 reactor is projected to be online by 2023. 

Kozloduy currently operates two Soviet-built units of 1,000 MW each, Unit 5 and Unit 6, whose operational life will expire in 2017 and 2019, respectively. The power plant has hired a French-Russian consortium to extend the life of Unit 5 by up to 60 years and a similar step is expected to be taken with regard to Unit 6.