First unit of Khmelnytsky NPP reconnected to power network, 8 out of 15 reactor units at work - IAEA

KYIV. April 7 (Interfax-Ukraine) - Ukraine has reconnected the first reactor unit of the Khmelnytsky Nuclear Power Plant to the power grid, and eight out of 15 national reactor units are currently in operation, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said, citing the State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU).

"Ukraine said one of the two units at the Khmelnytskyy Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) had been reconnected to the grid after regulator maintenance," the IAEA said in a daily report on Ukraine published on its website late on Thursday evening.

According to the IAEA, two reactors at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhya NPP, three at the Rivne NPP, two at the South Ukraine NPP, and now one at the Khmelnytsky NPP are currently in operation.

"The seven other reactors are shut down for regular maintenance or held in reserve," the IAEA said.

As reported earlier, Ukraine suspended operation of the first reactor unit of the Khmelnytsky NPP on April 2. The unit remained operational after the second reactor unit was put under maintenance for approximately 92 days on February 18.

According to the IAEA, the second unit of the Rivne nuclear power plant was put under maintenance before that.

Energoatom said earlier that three units of the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant were in reserve and one was under maintenance.

The Khmelnytsky NPP with two VVER-1000 reactor units with a total capacity of 2,000 MW is situated in Netishyn in the Khmelnytsky region.

The Polish company Orlen Synthos Green Energy said on Wednesday it was planning to implement an investment project to supply electricity from Ukraine, i.e. from the Khmelnytsky NPP, to Poland.

In all, Ukraine has 15 units of water-cooled water-moderated reactors with a total rated capacity of 13.835 GW.