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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--Ukraine's government is pushing ahead with plans for the construction of two new nuclear reactors despite the ongoing war with Russia.
The Cabinet of Ministers adopted the order to progress the procedural measures for the construction of power units 3 and 4 at the Khmelnytsky nuclear power plant (NPP), using Westinghouse Electric Company (Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania) technology. "The construction of AP1000 reactors by the American company Westinghouse in Ukraine is a powerful point in the end of cooperation with Russia in the field of atomic energy," said Minister of Energy of Ukraine Herman Galushchenko. "Today, the Cabinet of Ministers decided that we are starting to develop technical documentation for a new type of reactor that has never been built in Ukraine. In other words, we have ended the era of atomic generation based on Soviet technology."
The decision clears the way for the start of a technical and economic feasibility study. The plan, subject to the outcome of the war, is that both reactors will be up and running within a decade at an estimated cost of US$5 billion per reactor. The government stated: "Westinghouse's AP1000 reactor is a III+ generation reactor that has significant advantages compared to the Soviet VVER-1000 (13 such power units are in operation in Ukraine today), especially in terms of safety, technical and economic indicators."
Petro Kotin, president of Ukraine's state-owned Energoatom added: "Construction of АР1000 power units in Ukraine opens the way to the future of the country's nuclear energy industry. Today, the government laid the groundwork for its development for many decades to come. We hope that in a few years, we will together connect the new AP1000 power unit of the Khmelnytsky nuclear power plant to the power system. We welcome the government decision, with which we continue the implementation of modern technologies, strengthen our energy front and accelerate the reorientation of the Ukrainian energy industry to Western standards."
A month after Russia invaded Ukraine last February, Russian troops took control of the country's largest nuclear plant, Zaporizhzhia, near the warzone, which has six reactors. In August, Industrial Info reported that a reactor at the plant was taken offline after shelling hit high-voltage power lines at the site. For additional information, see August 9, 2022, article--Shelling Hits Nuclear Plant in Ukraine. In recent weeks, teams of nuclear safety and security experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) were stationed at Ukraine's nuclear power plants and the Chernobyl site. Their planned long-term presence marks a major expansion in the IAEA's efforts to help reduce the risk of a severe nuclear accident during the ongoing conflict in the country.
"With our experts' presence at Ukraine's nuclear power facilities and at the Chernobyl site, we are intensifying and deepening our technical activities to help prevent a nuclear accident during the terrible and tragic war in Ukraine," Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said, after the IAEA flag was hoisted at the Rivne NPP as a symbol of the agency's presence. "These new missions--launched at the request of the Government of Ukraine--will make a very real difference through supporting the Ukrainian operators and regulators in fulfilling their national responsibility of ensuring nuclear safety and security during these immensely difficult and challenging times for Ukraine. The experts will monitor key nuclear safety and security systems, provide technical assistance, assess the plants' needs and report to our headquarters."
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).
The Cabinet of Ministers adopted the order to progress the procedural measures for the construction of power units 3 and 4 at the Khmelnytsky nuclear power plant (NPP), using Westinghouse Electric Company (Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania) technology. "The construction of AP1000 reactors by the American company Westinghouse in Ukraine is a powerful point in the end of cooperation with Russia in the field of atomic energy," said Minister of Energy of Ukraine Herman Galushchenko. "Today, the Cabinet of Ministers decided that we are starting to develop technical documentation for a new type of reactor that has never been built in Ukraine. In other words, we have ended the era of atomic generation based on Soviet technology."
The decision clears the way for the start of a technical and economic feasibility study. The plan, subject to the outcome of the war, is that both reactors will be up and running within a decade at an estimated cost of US$5 billion per reactor. The government stated: "Westinghouse's AP1000 reactor is a III+ generation reactor that has significant advantages compared to the Soviet VVER-1000 (13 such power units are in operation in Ukraine today), especially in terms of safety, technical and economic indicators."
Petro Kotin, president of Ukraine's state-owned Energoatom added: "Construction of АР1000 power units in Ukraine opens the way to the future of the country's nuclear energy industry. Today, the government laid the groundwork for its development for many decades to come. We hope that in a few years, we will together connect the new AP1000 power unit of the Khmelnytsky nuclear power plant to the power system. We welcome the government decision, with which we continue the implementation of modern technologies, strengthen our energy front and accelerate the reorientation of the Ukrainian energy industry to Western standards."
A month after Russia invaded Ukraine last February, Russian troops took control of the country's largest nuclear plant, Zaporizhzhia, near the warzone, which has six reactors. In August, Industrial Info reported that a reactor at the plant was taken offline after shelling hit high-voltage power lines at the site. For additional information, see August 9, 2022, article--Shelling Hits Nuclear Plant in Ukraine. In recent weeks, teams of nuclear safety and security experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) were stationed at Ukraine's nuclear power plants and the Chernobyl site. Their planned long-term presence marks a major expansion in the IAEA's efforts to help reduce the risk of a severe nuclear accident during the ongoing conflict in the country.
"With our experts' presence at Ukraine's nuclear power facilities and at the Chernobyl site, we are intensifying and deepening our technical activities to help prevent a nuclear accident during the terrible and tragic war in Ukraine," Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said, after the IAEA flag was hoisted at the Rivne NPP as a symbol of the agency's presence. "These new missions--launched at the request of the Government of Ukraine--will make a very real difference through supporting the Ukrainian operators and regulators in fulfilling their national responsibility of ensuring nuclear safety and security during these immensely difficult and challenging times for Ukraine. The experts will monitor key nuclear safety and security systems, provide technical assistance, assess the plants' needs and report to our headquarters."
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 Trillion (USD).
