The completion of new power units at Khmelnytskyy NPP will be carried out in two stages. The second will involve the launch of American power units.
This was announced by Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his evening video address on 13 February after his visit to KhNPP.
"In total, we are preparing to launch four more units for Ukraine. The first stage will include two units, plus 2.2 GW, and then the second stage will include two more units, by the way, the American units will be later - from Westinghouse - also 2.2 GW. In general, it is with American partners that we are working to complete the station - it will be our strongest station," the head of state said.The President said that ‘this large project will help Ukraine not only to do without electricity imports during difficult winter periods, but also to provide more cheap electricity for our people and our industry.’
- Last December, EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernová said that Ukraine had not consulted with the EU when drafting a bill to complete the construction of Khmelnytskyy NPP units. In addition, the EU will not finance this project because the bloc has different positions on nuclear energy.
- In January, Energoatom announced that KhNPP Units 3 and 4 would operate only on fuel from the US company Westinghouse or fuel produced in Ukraine using Westinghouse technology, like the rest of the operating nuclear units.
- The Verkhovna Rada has recently approved a draft law on the purchase of reactors for KhNPP units 3 and 4 from Bulgaria. The bill only authorises the purchase, not the start of construction.
- Nashi Hroshi, citing other media outlets, wrote that the cost of Russian-made reactors in Bulgaria increased from $600 million to $1.1 billion after their purchase. Energoatom later accused the journalists of spreading fake news and said that "manipulative statements about the cost of Belene NPP reactor equipment, which is the property of the Government of the Republic of Bulgaria, are inappropriate, as commercial negotiations are still ongoing. As of today, according to the decision of the Bulgarian parliament, the cost of this equipment is USD 600 million."