Ukraine's Energoatom connects repaired nuclear reactor unit to power grid

MOSCOW. May 27 (Interfax) - Ukraine's Energoatom has connected a nuclear reactor unit to the power grid after scheduled maintenance, and its output is rising, Ukrainian media said, citing the Energy Ministry's statement on a social network on Monday.

A number of nuclear reactor units are being prepared for maintenance, the statement said.

"This must be done for quality preparation of the units for stable, uninterrupted operation during the heating season," the ministry said.

As reported, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said on its website on May 16 that scheduled maintenance and reloading were underway at two out of four reactor units of the Rovno NPP and one unit of the South Ukrainian NPP.

Energoatom head Pyotr Kotin said that two reactor units would resume operation in late May, and the third unit would become operational in mid-June.

In his words, all the other reactor units will undergo scheduled maintenance and resume operation by October. Later on, Energy Minister German Galushchenko said during the parliament's Hour of Questions to the Government that all nine nuclear reactor units available in Ukraine would be working by winter.