For the First Time in Europe, a Reactor For the Khmelnytsky NPP Will be Built Using American AR1000 Technology
President of Energoatom Ukraine Petro Kotin and CEO of Westinghouse Electric Company Patrick Fragman have signed an agreement for the procurement of equipment for the construction of Unit 5 of the Khmelnytsky NPP using the safest technology in the world, AR1000.
This is stated on the official website of the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine.
The agreement is of fundamental importance for Ukraine's energy security, as it is a highly reliable technology. Currently, five AR1000 units are operating worldwide, including in the United States and China, with five more almost ready for launch. Poland and Bulgaria are also interested in building such reactors, as are several other countries," noted the President of Westinghouse.
It is expected that these innovations will continue the implementation of Ukraine's course towards complete abandonment of Soviet-Russian technologies in nuclear energy and strengthen bilateral cooperation between American and Ukrainian partners.
"These reactors have not been in Ukraine, are not present in the post-Soviet space, and are not yet in Europe. This is one of the most progressive technologies in nuclear energy, allowing the support of nuclear power plant safety systems even in case of blackouts and the absence of diesel generators or other power supply systems," said the Minister of Energy of Ukraine Herman Halushchenko.
According to the President of Energoatom, the new equipment will have a positive impact on the entire Ukrainian energy system, as the actual capacity of AR1000 units is 1100 MW, while the most powerful nuclear units in Ukraine are 1000 MW.
"We have reached a very important stage in the process that started in 2021 during the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to the USA. I am grateful that we received support from the government and the Ministry of Energy, in particular, in adopting the decisions that allowed us to sign these contracts," emphasized Kotin.
At the same time, he added that the construction of the relevant facilities will begin immediately after the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine adopts the necessary law.
It is worth noting that in November 2021, Energoatom and Westinghouse signed two cooperation agreements, the purpose of which was to implement a pilot project to build AR1000 power units at the site of the Khmelnytsky NPP. In total, according to memoranda concluded between Energoatom and the American company Westinghouse, it is planned to build 9 power units in Ukraine using AR1000 technology. The first two units will be built at the site of the Khmelnytsky NPP.