New 750-Kilovolt, 353-Kilometer Transmission Line to Free Up Ukraine's Nuclear Power

Written by Richard Finlayson, Senior International Editor for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Ukraine has launched the construction of a 353-kilometer, 750-kilovolt power transmission line. According to Worldwide News, the new transmission line in Ukraine will be the fourth in the country and in Europe that has such a large capacity. The other three transmission lines connect Ukraine with Poland, Hungary and Bulgaria.

When completed in 2014, the power line will enhance energy supply to central and southern Ukraine. It also will provide reduced carbon dioxide emissions, reduce dependence on foreign natural gas (from Russia specifically), and fully utilize excess power production capacity at nuclear power plants in Ukraine.

The Rivnenska and Khmelnytska power plants in western Ukraine had new power units installed in 2004, giving a total power production capacity of 5,000 megawatts (MW). But, because of the limited transmission capacities of the existing power lines, the potential of the western nuclear power plants could not be fully utilized. The new power line also will stabilize electricity supply to central Ukraine, Kiev and Odessa.

Annual costs savings of about $110 million will result from the introduction of the power line. The project will assist in reducing the consumption of natural gas, which follows Ukraine's strategic goal of attaining energy independence. Under the updated draft of the energy strategy of Ukraine, it is projected that by 2030, the country will increase power production by 45.44% to 282 billion kilowatt-hours, compared with the 194 billion kilowatt-hours that are currently produced. Burning less gas and oil as power feeds in central regions also will reduce emissions.

The total investment for the project is $520 million, with $390 million secured by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and $130 million from the state-owned Ukrainian company NPC Ukrenergo. In 2011, these funding sources signed a $227 million agreement, which stipulates the construction of the new power line to Europe's largest nuclear power station in Zaporizhzhia, in southern Ukraine. This will release an additional 700 MW capacity from the 6,000-MW power station onto the grid.

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