Bulgaria has tentatively approved the construction of a new nuclear plant and on Thursday entered talks with Westinghouse to build the company's AP1000 reactor.
In a release, Westinghouse announced the Pennsylvania-based business and its parent company, Toshiba, will begin exclusive negotiations with Bulgarian Energy Holding EAD. The first of four AP1000 units is nearing completion in China, and another four units are underway at plants in the United States.
The Sofia News Agency reported the parties signed an agreement giving them nine months to outline the technical and cost parameters of the project to build unit 7 at Bulgaria's Kozloduy nuclear plant. Work on the new unit could begin as early as 2016.