Key Tender for Units 5, 6 of Bulgaria's Kozloduy NPP at Standstill

Units 5 and 6 of Bulgaria's Kozloduy nuclear power plant need a replacement of the automated neutron flux control system in order to have their capacity increased.

The measure is part of the life extension and modernization program for units 5 and 6 of the Kozloduy NPP, according to investor.bg.

The replacement of the system was requested by the chief constructor, OKB Hydropress, in order to allow the increase of the capacity of the two N-plant units and the granting of a life-extension.

The managing body of the Kozloduy NPP launched a tender procedure for the selection of a supplier of the technology in which four companies took part, including two Russian consortiums, Rusatom Service, in consortium with a Bulgarian company, and SKU-Atom, as well as two Ukrainian companies, Scientific and Production Enterprise "Radium" (Kirovograd), and Impuls.

However, the tender procedure for the selection of a contractor has reached a standstill at the stage of expression of interest and no invitation has been sent to any of the participants to submit a price bid, according to representatives of SKU-Atom.

The delay could be attributed to the time-consuming meticulous inspections of the large amount of documents required.

According to the tender procedure announcement, the estimated value of the project for the introduction of the two systems stands at BGN 37 M.

The replacement is expected to take around two months.

Three of the four companies which have expressed interest in the procedure have cited as subcontractors Risk Engineering and other Bulgarian companies specialized in installation works.

Each of the two reactors needs a separate automated neutron flux control system because they work independently.

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