As part of a series of working meetings held with members of the U.S. Congress, senior advisors, and officials from the White House and the U.S. Department of State—as well as during bilateral discussions with executives from multinational technology companies such as General Electric (GE Vernova), Westinghouse, Meta, and others—the current implementation of strategic national and regional energy projects in Bulgaria was discussed, along with the planning of future priority projects over the coming years.

Key topics included the construction of Units 7 and 8 of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant using AP1000 technology, the development of critical segments of the Vertical Gas Corridor on Bulgarian territory, progress on a private-sector-led initiative for the deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs) in Bulgaria, and other strategic undertakings.

In the U.S. House of Representatives, meetings were held with Congressman Brian Mast, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee; Congressman Charles “Chuck” Fleischmann, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development; and Congressman Brad Schneider, a member of the Committees on Foreign Affairs and Ways and Means. Discussions with all three Republican Representatives focused on Bulgaria’s leading energy projects and their contribution to ensuring energy security in the Southeast European region.

At the White House, talks with David Copley—Special Advisor to President Donald Trump and Senior Director at the National Security Council—and representatives from the National Energy Dominance Council centered on the construction of the Vertical Gas Corridor through Bulgaria. It was noted that this project is critical to enabling additional deliveries of U.S.-origin liquefied natural gas (LNG) through Bulgaria’s transmission network to markets in Southeastern, Eastern, Central, and Western Europe, thus supporting energy diversification and security.

At the U.S. Department of State, the discussion once again focused on the development of gas infrastructure in Bulgaria, particularly the Vertical Gas Corridor. The status of key segments was presented, including the "Kulata–Kresna" section, which is currently under construction, and the "Rupcha–Vetrino" looping, where construction is scheduled to commence in the coming month. Both strategic segments are expected to be completed by the end of 2026. The project for the construction of Units 7 and 8 of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant using Westinghouse's AP1000 technology was also discussed.

The revitalization of the U.S. nuclear industry through innovative small modular reactor (SMR) technologies—gaining momentum and support from both the public sector and private investors—was the central topic during meetings at the GE Vernova office in Washington, D.C. Roger Martella, Chief Sustainability Officer of the U.S. industrial giant, provided an update on the progress of GE Hitachi’s BWRX-300 SMR project in Canada, located at the Darlington site in Ontario. It was shared that in April 2025, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) issued a construction license for the first BWRX-300 SMR at the site, and in May, the province of Ontario and Ontario Power Generation (OPG) granted final approval for the construction of the first of four planned reactors.

Preparatory work is currently underway, including site clearing, equipment mobilization, and other pre-construction activities. In May 2025, a construction and project management contract was signed with Aecon Kiewit Nuclear Partners. Commissioning of the reactors is anticipated in 2030.

In the caption for the main photo (from left to right):
Chairman of the Management Board of Glavbolgarstroy, Kalin Peshov, met with David Copley, Special Advisor to the President Trump and Senior Director at the National Security Council, and Blake Dilley, Special Advisor to the President and Deputy Director at the National Energy Dominance Council.