Representatives of the Czech consortium Skoda Alliance and its US partner Westinghouse presented in Sofia an improved offer for building a 2,000 MW nuclear plant in the northern Bulgarian town of Belene. The presentation was supported by the ambassadors of the Czech Republic and the US. As requested by the government, the new proposal contains shorter terms of implementation and lower price parameters but concrete figures are not unveiled. Skoda Alliance is competing in the tender against Russia 's AtomStroyExport, which is also expected to meet the government demand for cheaper and faster construction. Both bidders envisage alternative construction scenarios with installation of new equipment at the projected two nuclear units with power capacities of 1,000 MW each or using old equipment purchased for the first 1,000MW unit nearly 20 years ago. The government has criticised the initial offers of Skoda Alliance and AtomStroyExport that the costs estimates for upgrading and using existing assets are too expensive and almost equal to purchase of modern equipment.

The government is expected to name the preferred constructor of the nuclear plant before the fall of the year and to sign a contract by the end of the year. Field works are projected to start early next year so that the first unit of the nuclear plant could become operational in 2012 or 2014 at latest. Investments estimates for the whole project vary in the range of EUR 2.5bn to EUR 4bn.