The management of the Czech consortium Skoda Alliance announced that it is ready to shorten the 6-year term for building the first 1GW unit of the planned nuclear capacities in Belene to 4 years from previously proposed 6 years. The new time commitment is counted from the date of issuing line construction licences by local authorities. The timeline for the second 1GW unit in Belene is cut to 5.5 years from 7.5 years. The second candidate in the tender, Russia 's AtomStroyExport, is proposing 5.5 years for the first unit and 7.5 years for the second one. The statement of Skoda Alliance comes after rumours in the local and Russian press that AtomStroyExport will be named as a preferred winner by the end of this month. The first unit of the nuclear plant in Belene is expected to start operations in 2013.