Reactor two of Yuzhnoukrainsk nuclear power plant (NPP) with the projected electric capacity of 1,000 MW was brought to the capacity of 1,050 MW on Tuesday, February 22, Ukraine's Energy and Coal Industry Ministry has reported.

"After replacing the condenser of the turbine of reactor two, without the increase of the electric capacity of the reactor and temperature of recirculating water of 16 Centigrade, it was managed to achieve 1,050 MW of the capacity," the ministry said.

The condenser was replaced during the scheduled repair conducted in 2015 and 2016.

Head of Yuzhnoukrainsk NPP Volodymyr Lisnychenko said that in the future it is planned to increase the heating capacity of reactor two by 1.5%. This would help to more increase its capacity.

The ministry said that the pilot project to increase heating capacity of Ukrainian NPPs was reactor one of Yuzhnoukrainsk NPP, which in November 2016 reached 3,045 MW or 101.5% of its projected heating capacity. The electric capacity of the reactor could be increased only after replacement of the old condenser. It is planned to finish works in 2018.

Yuzhnoukrainsk nuclear power plant has three reactors with a total capacity of 3 GW, the Tashlyk hydroelectric pumped storage power plant with a 302 MW capacity in turbine mode and Oleksandrivka hydropower plant with an 11.5 MW capacity.

Energoatom is the operator of all four Ukrainian-based operating nuclear power plants, which have 15 VVER reactors with an overall generating capacity of 13.835 gigawatts.