Kyiv plans to expand the nuclear sector to compensate for the losses from the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, German Galushchenko explained.
Ukrainian authorities plan to start building four new nuclear reactors this summer or fall. Energy Minister German Galushchenko said this in an interview with Reuters.
“I think we will start construction in the summer or fall. We need packaged (nuclear reactors,” ed.)”, – he said.
According to him, all four reactors will be built at the Khmelnitsky Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP). Construction of the 3rd and 4th units at KhNPP began in the 1980s and was frozen.
Since gaining independence in 1991, Ukraine has built three new nuclear reactors – one each at the Zaporozhye, Khmelnytsky and Rivne nuclear power plants.
Currently, three nuclear power plants in Ukrainian-controlled territory produce more than 55% of the country’s electricity needs, but Kyiv plans to expand this sector to compensate for losses from the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant, the largest nuclear power plant in Europe.
“With the 3rd and 4th units at KhNPP, we want to compensate for the losses from the Zaporozhye NPP, and now we are talking with our partners in Bulgaria about the two reactors that we want to buy. If we receive nuclear reactor vessels today, I imagine that 2.5 years have passed, and we will have a third reactor in operation,” Galushchenko explained.
At the same time, with the construction of the Soviet VVER-1000 nuclear units, Ukraine plans to begin preparations for the installation of two modern western AP1000 units, as well as at the KhNPP.
“We have to pass laws in parliament, and we have a draft law for the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th units. This is VVER-1000 (for the 3rd and 4 units, – ed..) , and we want to generate the 5th and 6th by AP type. This is a parallel process,” the head of the Ministry of Energy summed up.
We remind you that the German Galushchenko reported that due to the ban on disconnecting debtors, some consumers abused it in order not to pay for utilities.
As you know, at the end of December 2023, the Cabinet of Ministers lifted the moratorium on March 24, 2022 on disconnecting buyers of housing and community services in case of debt.
Source: korrespondent
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