According to the Ministry of Energy chief, Herman Galushchenko, they intend to build new nuclear power units in Ukraine to compensate for the lost capacity of the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP (ZNPP).
Construction of new power units in Ukraine. First details
According to the minister, it will be possible to de-occupy the ZNPP sooner or later, but Ukraine will still face problems.
We understand that we will definitely return this station, it's just a matter of time. Another question is in what condition we will return it and whether we will be able to put it into operation immediately, Herman Galushchenko explained.
He also drew attention to the fact that the construction of Khmelnytskyi NPP's 3rd and 4th power units (KhNPP) had been planned for a long time.
It is essential to understand that the readiness of the 3rd power unit is currently relatively high.
In addition, it is emphasised that after the completion of four units at the KhNPP, which will start this year, the station should become the most powerful in Europe.
With the power that the six reactors at the Khmelnytskyi NPP will be able to produce, it will be the largest in Europe and even more powerful than the Zaporizhzhya NPP, the head of the Ministry of Energy noted.
According to the minister, the KhNPP is also designed to compensate for the lost capacity of the Zaporizhzhia NPP.
We consider this as a mechanism for compensating the capacities of the occupied Zaporizhzhia NPP, Herman Galushchenko added.
What is known about the new threat to radiation safety at the ZNPP
Recently, the chairman of "Energoatom", Petro Kotin, warned that the 6-year term of nuclear fuel in all six reactors the manufacturer allows will soon expire at the Russian-occupied ZNPP.
"The invaders' attempts to alternately transfer ZNPP power units from a "cold shutdown" to a "hot shutdown" further destabilize the situation, not to mention the flagrant violation of the terms of the State Atomic Energy Regulatory Commission's licenses for the operation of these nuclear facilities, i.e., at the same time, the requirements of Ukrainian and international legislation," emphasised Kotin.
