The U.S.-Bulgarian bilateral workshop was held in Sofia between 4-5 December 2024, as a step of partnership between United States and Bulgaria under the FIRST program and Project Phoenix to advance the clean energy transition through advanced nuclear technologies. Representatives of Bulgarian institutions, academia, nuclear sector, public companies and non-governmental organizations were gathered to share experiences and good practices regarding the SMR technologies and their potential integration in Bulgaria. The focus of the discussions was mainly on the effective stakeholders engagement and the consideration of the public opinion in the development of a new project. The specifics and needs in different regions of the country and what the place of nuclear technologies would be in relation to them were also discussed.

The presentations included an overview of small modular reactors (SMRs), their advantages and their role in the energy transition, barriers to their market entry, as well as workforce development strategies and the importance of effective communication between stakeholders in the process of implementation of new nuclear technologies.