A Bulgarian energy company, along with a European project developer, has signed a letter of intent for a joint venture (JV) that could build a fleet of as many as six small modular reactors (SMRs) in the country. Blue Bird Energy AD and SGE S.A. on December 22 announced the JV would deploy BWRX-300 SMRs from GE Vernova Hitachi (GVH). Monday’s announcement said the 300-MW units are currently being built in Ontario, Canada. The companies said the SMRs would provide power for the industrial sector in Bulgaria, including data centers, and also would enable decarbonization of district heating. Blue Bird Energy and SGE said the JV would work to:
Select and prepare deployment sites in Bulgaria.
Facilitate site and design licensing.
Manage construction and project development.
Coordinate project funding.
Ensure safe, reliable, and efficient commercial operation.
Rafał Kasprow, CEO of SGE, said, “Partnering with Blue Bird Energy will strengthen our European SMR development platform and help us deliver affordable energy that meets the needs of the Bulgarian people. With today’s announcement, Bulgaria joins the U.S., Canada, Poland, Hungary, and others who are in the process of deploying this world-leading U.S. technology. We are confident that the Bulgarian economy will benefit from low-cost, reliable, baseload energy. Additionally, Bulgarian companies will play a significant role in the global BWRX-300 supply chain.” Kalin Peshov, chairman of the board of directors Blue Bird Energy, said, “We are excited to partner with energy frontrunners such as GE Vernova Hitachi and SGE. The 65 years of nuclear experience of GVH and the proven track record of SGE bringing the BWRX-300 technology to Europe would be invaluable in supporting our mission to provide Bulgaria with secured long-term energy supply.” SGE is a European SMR development platform founded in 2018. The company is a co-investor in the standard design for the BWRX-300. The company is considered Europe’s leading developer of SMR projects. SGE at present is establishing partnerships and projects in more than a half-dozen European countries. Their flagship project is in Poland, where, in cooperation with global energy leader ORLEN, they have begun development at three separate sites and are on schedule to complete the first unit by 2032. Blue Bird Energy is a Bulgarian energy company established to secure the successful deployment of an SMR fleet in Bulgaria. Main shareholders in Blue Bird Energy are two of the leading Bulgarian industrial corporations – Glavbolgarstroy (GBS) and Asarel-Medet JSC. GBS, founded in 1969, is the largest and most established construction and engineering group in Bulgaria and a major player in the southeastern European construction market. Asarel-Medet JSC is Bulgaria’s biggest copper mining and processing company, focused on open-pit mining and ore processing. —Darrell Proctor is a senior editor for POWER.
