Ukraine approves construction of two Westinghouse reactors at Khmelnitksy NPP

MOSCOW. Jan 23 (Interfax) - The Ukrainian government has decided to prepare a feasibility study for the construction of two AP1000 nuclear generating units designed by Westinghouse at the Khmelnitsky Nuclear Power Plant, Ukrainian media reported, citing a statement on the Telegram channel of state company Energoatom that cited Energy Minister German Galushenko.

The government's representative to parliament, Taras Melnichuk said on his Telegram channel that the Cabinet, with the aim of setting the stage for the construction of new generating units at the Khmelnitsky NPP, has approved the Energy Ministry's proposal to prepare a feasibility study for the construction of nuclear generating units using the AP1000 reactor design and submit it to the Cabinet for approval.

The customer for the new units is nuclear power company Energoatom. The project will be financed with funds from Energoatom and loans to be received by the U.S. company.

The units will be built concurrently and construction could tentatively be completed in 2032.

Energoatom and Westinghouse signed a memorandum on the construction of five generating units at Ukrainian nuclear power plants in September 2021, and in June 2022 they signed an agreement to increase the number of AP1000 reactors to nine. Also at that time, the companies signed an agreement on supplies of nuclear fuel for all nuclear power plants in Ukraine, both existing ones and ones on the drawing board.