SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Bulgaria on Wednesday decided to expand the country’s nuclear power generation as an alternative to fossil fuels by launching the construction of two additional reactors at its only nuclear power plant. The two new reactors, which will provide a total of 2,300 megawatts, will use Westinghouse’s technology, the government said in a statement. Earlier this year, U.S.-based nuclear equipment manufacturer Westinghouse Electric Co. signed an agreement with the Kozloduy plant for a proposed deployment of one or two AP1000 pressurized water reactor units. Bulgaria currently operates two Russian-designed VVER-1000 reactors of 1000 MW each at the nuclear facility in Kozloduy that generate about a third of the country’s electricity. As part of its energy diversification efforts, Bulgaria signed agreements last year with France’s Framatome and Westinghouse Electric to receive fresh nuclear fuel for its operating reactors.

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Persons: Nikolay Denkov, France’s Organizations: —, Wednesday, Westinghouse Electric Co, European Union, Westinghouse Electric Locations: SOFIA, Bulgaria, — Bulgaria, Kozloduy, Ukraine, Moscow