During the Yedyni Novyny telethon, Minister of Energy Herman Galushchenko announced the potential prospects of the Khmelnytsky Nuclear Power Plant (KHNPP) to become the most powerful in all of Europe.
It should be noted that the construction of four new power units at the Khmelnytskyi NPP is planned for the beginning of 2024, with two of them being built according to modern American AP1000 technology.
The head of the Ministry of Energy reminded that plans for the construction of the third and fourth power units at the Khao NPP have existed for some time, and the readiness of the third unit is currently high.
Galushchenko sees this as a mechanism to compensate for the capacity of the Zaporizhia NPP, which is currently occupied. He emphasized that the return of the station is only a matter of time, but it is important to consider the conditions of its return and the possibility of a quick resumption of work.
The Minister shared information about close cooperation with the American company Westinghouse in two projects: the construction of the third and fourth units using the VVER-1000 technology, as well as the creation of two more reactors of the AR1000 type.
Galushchenko noted that the AR1000 technology is new both for Ukraine and Europe. It is an American type of high-power reactor that incorporates innovative safety approaches. Even if the reactor is accidentally turned off and the diesel generator is damaged, the AP1000 can operate without risk of accidents for 72 hours.
According to Herman Galushchenko, the construction of new reactors will take time, and the commissioning of the third unit of Khao NPP is expected in the near future, in about 2.5 years. With six reactors at the Khmelnytskyi NPP, it will become the most powerful in Europe, surpassing even the Zaporizhzhya NPP in terms of capacity.
