Hyundai Engineering & Construction secured a design contract for Bulgaria’s Kozloduy nuclear power plant expansion, marking its first overseas nuclear project since 2009. The South Korean builder will partner with Westinghouse Electric Co. to add two reactors at the facility.
The engineering services contract, signed in Sofia on November 4, positions Hyundai E&C to handle the balance of plant infrastructure and licensing support for the project’s initial 12-month phase. Westinghouse will supply its AP1000 reactor technology for units 7 and 8 at the site.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov backed the partnership, citing Hyundai E&C’s track record in nuclear construction. The company emerged as the sole qualifier in February’s pre-qualification round for the project.
The Kozloduy facility, situated 200 kilometers north of Sofia, currently operates two Soviet-era pressurized water reactors that generate one-third of Bulgaria’s electricity. Four older units have been decommissioned.
The main engineering and construction contract is expected by late 2025, with project completion targeted for 2035. Hyundai E&C has established a local office in Sofia’s Ovcha Kupel district to oversee operations.
The contract represents Hyundai E&C’s biggest nuclear endeavor since its work on the Barakah plant in the United Arab Emirates.
