Ukraine's parliament greenlights possible purchase of reactors for KhNPP-3 and KhNPP-4 from Bulgaria
Ukraine's Verkhovna Rada has approved a deal allowing the state-owned nuclear energy company Energoatom to purchase nuclear reactor units from Bulgaria's NEC "EAD" for the construction of reactors №3 and №4 at the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant (KhNPP) in western Ukraine. The decision was passed with 269 votes in favor.
The approval came amid significant opposition in the parliament, leading to an unusual voting procedure. The bill was passed as an amendment to an unrelated bill №11392, which had already been approved in its first reading. The text of the bill was entirely replaced before its second and final reading.
The approved decision allows for the purchase of nuclear reactors but does not authorize the construction of the energy blocks.
The Energy Committee supported the completion of KhNPP-3 and KhNPP-4 on June 17, 2024, but the corresponding bill has not been submitted to the parliament due to disagreements among lawmakers. The bill is expected to be voted on after updating the technical and economic justification of the project.
Andriy Gerus, the head of the Energy Committee, clarified that the bill does not obligate the purchase but gives the government the right to analyze the situation and decide on the acquisition. The final decision remains with the government, which can choose to exercise this right or not.
"It gives the government the right to analyze the situation and, if appropriate, make a decision. And then it's the government's responsibility to exercise this right or not. In general, there is also the Bulgarian side, which has its own political processes. Let's see how it all ends. But in this case, the draft law gives the government the right to resolve the issue and does not oblige in any way. The government will have the authority to decide what to do in this situation," he said in an interview with RBC-Ukraine.
Gerus added that the Ministry of Energy asserts the economic feasibility of the project.
"I don't know what the calculations will be. According to the comments from the Ministry of Energy, which are now available, this is a relatively cheap construction. But this is only from the words that must be confirmed by the feasibility study," he said.
In 2006, Rosatom won an international tender to build two VVER-1000 energy blocks at the Belene Nuclear Power Plant in Bulgaria, but the project was halted in 2009. In 2012, Bulgaria abandoned the construction of the plant and is now willing to sell the reactors to Ukraine.
The cost of the reactors is €600 million.
- Khmelnytskyi NPP is located in western Ukraine on the border of three oblasts: Khmelnytskyi, Rivne, and Ternopil. Its construction began in 1981, and it currently has two reactors. The first was launched in 1987, the second in 2004. Both power units have VVER-1000 reactors, with a total capacity of 2,000 MW. According to the project, the plant was supposed to have four units, but the third and fourth power units were only partially built.
- Energoatom wants to complete the construction of two VVER-1000 power units and build two more powerful power units using American AP1000 technology, which will be able to produce up to 1,200 MW. If these plans are implemented, the total capacity of the Khmelnytskyi NPP will exceed 6,000 MW, making it the largest in Europe.
