Energoatom, Westinghouse start construction project of KhNPP-5,6 using AP1000 technology
NNEGC Energoatom and the U.S. company Westinghouse have begun a project to build KhNPP-5 and KhNPP-6 using AP1000 technology.
The launch ceremony of the project took place on April 11 at Khmelnytsky nuclear power plant site with the participation of U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink and Minister of Energy of Ukraine Herman Haluschenko (information is provided with a delay for security reasons).
As noted at the ceremony by Deputy Chairman of the Board of Energoatom Petro Kotin, the AP1000 is a proven III+ reactor with unique fully passive safety systems, a modular standard design, industry-leading performance characteristics and the ability to operate in maneuvering mode.
"This is a more modern and safer technology than those that we operate now. This is a new step towards a more modern, reliable and safe energy sector. And it is in Ukraine that the first power unit in Europe using AP1000 technology will be built. This will be KhNPP-5," Kotin said.
President and CEO of Westinghouse Electric Company Patrick Fragman said they are proud to be involved in the history that Ukraine is creating in the energy sector.
He said this is an improved technology with increased efficiency, and the power unit itself is compact and has a lower cost compared to others.
The company's CEO said that at the Khmelnytsky nuclear power plant's site, they said the heavy equipment, the production of which takes the longest, is already ready, and this will significantly speed up the construction timeline. He added that due to the assistance of the U.S. government and due to the fact that the main agreements have been signed, it will be even faster.
Fragman said the AP1000 reactor is designed to operate for 60 years, but he said it will likely be longer.
"These units make it possible to balance. This is a special feature of the American AP1000 technology. Now Russian aggressors are destroying the balancing capacity of Ukraine, and if we already had such a nuclear power unit, we could maneuver it and, accordingly, perform important functions for the energy system," Haluschenko said.
Brink said this is a project for the next many years. The United States is committed to fruitful cooperation with Ukraine. Together with the U.S. Congress, they are trying to support you not only within the framework of armed aggression, but also economically, she said.
As for the sources of financing for the project, according to Kotin, the company could provide it on its own, since it has large profits, but the lion's share of them goes to cover the Public Service Obligation (PSO).
In the previous year, Energoatom spent UAH 128 billion of net profit on the Public Service Obligation. If the company is released from the PSO, then we will have $3 billion in profit, for which we can build the block. If not, we are talking about loans," Kotin told reporters after the ceremony.
He said the construction period for one block is approximately four-five years, and its cost is about $5 billion.