Cabinet approves development of technical documentation for construction of power units at Khmelnytskyi NPP

The Cabinet of Ministers has approved the development of technical documentation for the construction of power units at the Khmelnytskyi nuclear power plant (Netishyn, Khmelnytskyi Region) using the technology of the Westinghouse Electric company (USA).

This was reported by the Ministry of Energy with reference to Minister Herman Halushchenko, the Ukrainian News agency reports.

"The construction of AP1000 reactors by the American company Westinghouse in Ukraine is a powerful point in the completion of cooperation with Russia in the field of atomic energy. Today, the Cabinet of Ministers made a decision that we begin the development of technical documentation for a new type of reactors that have never been built in Ukraine. That is, we have finished the era of the creation of atomic generation based on Soviet technology," he said.

According to Halushchenko, the estimated date of completion of construction and start-up of two power units at the Khmelnytskyi NPP is 2030-2032, although the course of hostilities may affect the date.

"The cost of one power unit is about USD 5 billion. Westinghouse's AR1000 reactor is a III+ generation reactor, which has significant advantages compared to the Soviet VVER-1000 (today 13 such power units are in operation in Ukraine), especially in terms of safety, technical and economic indicators," he noted.

As the Ukrainian News agency earlier reported, in November 2021, the national nuclear energy generating company Energoatom and the Westinghouse Electric company signed an agreement on the joint construction of two power units at the Khmelnytskyi NPP.

The Khmelnytskyi NPP operates 2 power units (VVER-1000) with a total capacity of 2,000 MW (connected in 1987 and 2004).

Westinghouse Electric is engaged in the construction of nuclear power plants and the production of nuclear fuel.