Energoatom completes first repairs of NPP units in preparation for autumn and winter period at Khmelnytsky NPP - company's head

NNEGC Energoatom has completed repairs to Unit 2 of the Khmelnytsky Nuclear Power Plant (KhNPP)—the first of nine Ukrainian-controlled nuclear power plants—in preparation for the heating season, according to Acting Chairman of the Company’s Board, Pavlo Kovtoniuk.

"Yesterday, KhNPP-2 was restarted after repairs and is gaining power," Kovtoniuk told reporters during a tour of the nuclear power plant, according to an Energoreform correspondent.

According to KhNPP General Director Andriy Koziura, the power unit was synchronized with the grid on Tuesday, April 28.

"The planned repair period of 52 days was optimized to just four," he noted.

Koziura also added that, among other things, a number of measures were taken during the repair to improve process safety.

Kovtoniuk, in turn, explained that each scheduled preventive maintenance project consists of a list of essential mandatory tasks, including fuel reloading and equipment repairs, as well as additional work, such as replacing equipment that has reached the end of its service life.

"It’s precisely in such work that optimization can be achieved by engaging both plant personnel and experienced contractors. This optimization has already been achieved at KhNPP-2," said the head of Energoatom.

He also clarified that eight of the nine Ukrainian-controlled power units are currently operational in the power grid, with one unit undergoing mid-scheduled maintenance.

According to Kovtoniuk, the maintenance campaign at Energoatom began in April and is scheduled to continue until October.

"Whenever possible, we will optimize repairs without compromising quality to provide additional capacity to the system," he emphasized.

According to the head of Energoatom’s board, the repair campaign has been coordinated with Ukrenergo and is designed to distribute the shutdown of units as evenly as possible.