Last of 9 Kiev-controlled NPP units to be connected to power grid in coming days

MOSCOW. Nov 15 (Interfax) - The last of nine nuclear power plant units controlled by Ukraine will be connected to the power grid in the coming days, according to Energoatom President Pyotr Kotin.

"Now eight units are running at the full capacity. The last unit, the ninth, will be connected to our power grid within the next four or five days. After that we will maintain the top capacity of our nuclear power plant units until summer," Ukrainian media quoted Kotin as saying in the United News telethon.

"I can guarantee that all the capacities we have will be available for supplying electricity to our consumers during the fall and winter season," he said.

Energoatom said several days ago it had begun launch preparations at a 1,000MW unit of a nuclear power plant. Once the unit is launched, all thee nuclear power plants operating in the Kiev-controlled territory will generate 7,800MW of electricity for the national power grid.

Ukraine possesses nine nuclear power plant units, including seven VVER-1000 and two VVER-440 at three operating Rovno, South Ukrainian and Khmelnitsky nuclear power plants.