Southern Nuclear and Georgia Power will take over construction management of the Vogtle nuclear plant from bankrupt developer Westinghouse under a new service agreement.

The deal extends an interim construction agreement until 3 June while the companies finalize the agreement and secure approvals to transfer project management.

Westinghouse Electric, the US subsidiary of Toshiba, was the contractor and designer of the project and it filed bankruptcy this March.

Work will continue at the site and an orderly transition of project management will start. Georgia Power said it will take necessary actions to make Westinghouse and Toshiba accountable for their financial obligations.

Georgia Power issued the statement an hour before the agreement was due for expiration. The agreement was extended on April 28. Presently, the company owns a 46% stake in the project.

Georgia Power claims to have invested billions of dollars and jobs of 6000 Vogtle workers are at stake and project is three years behind schedule and $3bn over its original budget. It being claimed that between last July and December, construction cost was more than $37m each month.

It will continue to work with the project co-owners including Oglethorpe Power, MEAG Power and Dalton Utilities and the Georgia Public Service Commission to complete the project.

The final cost of the project still remains unknown and they could get the final figure by the end of this summer.