On December 19, 2019, the Ministry of Energy of Bulgaria announced a short list of strategic investors in its Belene nuclear power project. Of the seven companies that submitted strategic investing interest letters, three companies were successfully shortlisted: China National Nuclear Corporation （CNNC）, ROSATOM, and Korea Hydropower and Nuclear Power Company (KHNP).
The Republic of Bulgaria disclosed that it will subsequently sign a confidentiality agreement with the candidates on the short list to negotiate key issues, and then open the project database to them and issue invitations and tender documents afterwards.
This 2000 MW project on the Danube is expected to launch in 2020 or 2021 at a cost of about 10 billion euros.
Bulgaria cancelled this project in 2012 but decided to resume it last year. Since 2016, CNNC has never stopped business negotiation with the Republic of Bulgaria on its Belene nuclear power project.
In 2018, two states signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy. In the same year, the Bulgarian Parliament decided to restart the Belene project.
In August 2019, China National Nuclear Corporation submitted to the Energy Administration of Bulgaria of the Letter of Interest as the Strategic Investors and related materials on time.
