Minister Malinov: Today we took an important new step towards the implementation of units 7 and 8 of Kozloduy NPP
In the presence of the Minister of Energy, Kozloduy NPP New builds concluded in Washington a legal cooperation agreement with the law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw PittmanIn the presence of the Minister of Energy, Kozloduy NPP New builds concluded in Washington a legal cooperation agreement with the law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman
“The fact that Kozloduy NPP New Builds EAD has engaged an international legal consultant with the experience and expertise of Pillsbury is an important step towards the successful implementation of units 7 and 8 at the site of Kozloduy NPP”. The Minister of Energy Vladimir Malinov said this on the document signing ceremony which took place during his visit to Washington, USA. The contract was signed by the CEO of Kozloduy NPP New Builds Petio Ivanov and Vinse Zabelski parter in Pillsbury. The ceremony was also attended by Dr. John Carmack, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Energy at the U.S. Department of Energy, and Jeff Merrifield, head of Pillsbury's Nuclear Energy Division, who served two terms as head of the U.S. nuclear regulator.
"The project for building units 7 and 8 in our nuclear power plant is a strategic one not only for our country but also for the entire region of South Eastern Europe in the context of achieving the carbon neutrality targets", Minister Malinov stressed. In his words, this project will consolidate the role of Bulgaria, which has 50 years of experience in operating nuclear power plants, as a regional energy leader. The involvement of an international law firm of the rank of Pillsbury in the project will assist in the proper structuring and implementation of the project, the Minister of Energy added.
Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman is an international law firm with over 50 years of experience in the field of nuclear energy. The portfolio of the law firm includes comprehensive legal services for some of the most successful new capacity projects in recent years, such as the Baraka NPP in the United Arab Emirates and the Akkuyu NPP in Turkey. The key competences of the law firm include preparation of engineering and construction contracts, financing and licensing of new nuclear capacities.
The Minister of Energy Vladimir Malinov had a meeting with the Executive Vice President for International Markets and Chief Commercial Officer of Westinghouse Jacques Besnainou and other company executive representatives. The need to finalize the signing of an engineering contract between Kozloduy NPP New Builds and a consortium between the Korean Hyundai Engineering & Construction and the American Westinghouse Electric Company was highlighted during the talks. "We are confident that the collaboration of companies of such rank is a guarantee for the implementation of the large-scale project for the construction of new capacities in Bulgaria within the set deadlines," the Minister of Energy underlined.
