Khmelnitsky NPP

At the beginning of 2022, 4 power units were operating at the Khmelnytsky NPP, which allow covering the shortage of electrical capacity in the entire western region of Ukraine.

2024

Emergency shutdown of the power unit

On March 14, 2024, it became known that one of the two power units of the Khmelnitsky nuclear power plant stood up, Ukrainian power engineers had to launch reserve electric power capacities.

After that, Ukrenergo reported that the power unit was put into emergency repair mode. Nothing is reported about the causes of the emergency, experts are working to clarify the circumstances of the incident.

Nuclear fuel of the American Westinghouse delivered to nuclear power plants

For two power units of the Khmelnitsky nuclear power plant, nuclear fuel was delivered to the American company Westinghouse. This was announced by Energoatom on March 8, 2024.

Westinghouse's fresh nuclear fuel (SNF) for two power units of the nuclear power plant with reactors VVER-1000 already at the station site. Now all domestic nuclear power plants will use American fuel assemblies. They will be loaded into the reactors of the Khmelnitsky nuclear power plant this year - during scheduled preventive repairs, "the message says.

It is indicated that the KhAES units still worked on Russian fuel purchased before 2022. But later Energoatom completely stopped cooperation with Russia.

Energoatom added that they carried out a number of technical works and purchased the necessary equipment so that all nuclear power units with VVER-1000 and VVER-440 reactors would operate on Westinghouse nuclear fuel.

2023: Westinghouse contract to build AP1000 power unit

The value of the contract between the Ukrainian Energoatom and the American Westinghouse Electric Company for the purchase of a reactor plant for the first AP1000 nuclear power unit in Ukraine is $437.5 million.

Energoatom published such information in the Prozorro electronic procurement system in December 2023.

As previously reported, President of Energoatom Petr Kotin and Chief Executive Officer of Westinghouse Electric Company Patrick Fragman signed an agreement on the purchase of equipment for power unit No. 5 of the Khmelnitsky nuclear power plant on December 17. It will be built using American AR1000 technology.

The unit has already been manufactured and is located in the USA. Most likely, this is a reactor, steam generators and other equipment manufactured in 2013-2017 for an unfinished nuclear power plant in South Carolina, USA, suggests former director of procurement at Energoatom Mikhail Shuster

Construction work at the Khmelnitsky NPP site will begin after the adoption of the necessary legislation by the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. According to Energoatom, after the adoption of the legislation, it will be ready to begin construction work as soon as possible, the unit will add 1.1 GW of installed electric power to the power system of Ukraine (now there are two units with a total capacity of 2 GW as part of the Khmelnitsky NPP). This power unit may begin operation in 2028-2029.

After the abandonment of Russian nuclear fuel, Westinghouse became the sole supplier of fuel assemblies for nuclear power plants in Ukraine.

2022: Emergency shutdown of power unit No. 1

On January 25, 2022, at 04:22, power unit No. 1 of the Khmelnitsky NPP was disconnected from the network upon the actuation of the differential protection of the unit transformer with the subsequent operation of the protection of the reactor plant. There were no violations of the boundaries and conditions of safe operation, there are no consequences for personnel and the environment. The preliminary assessment of this event on the INES scale is the level "0," i.e. the event is not significant for safety. The radiation state at the industrial site and in the observation area has not changed, corresponds to the normal operation of power units and does not exceed natural background values.

2021: Energoatom and Westinghouse signed agreements on the implementation of the project for the construction of 2 power units at the Khmelnytsky NPP

In November 2021, Energoatom and Westinghouse signed agreements on the implementation of the project for the construction of two power units at the Khmelnitsky nuclear power plant. Then it became known that Ukraine could buy on loan from an American company also 2 reactors for nuclear power plants unclaimed in the United States, which are planned to be sent to the Khmelnitsky nuclear power plant.

2020: Contract with Westinghouse for unlicensed fuel assemblies for type VVER-440 reactors

In October 2020, Energoatom signed a contract with Westinghouse for the supply of unlicensed fuel assemblies for type VVER-440 reactors.

Ukraine is one of the first countries to receive unlicensed fuel assemblies from Westinghouse, and earlier a number of accidents occurred at Ukrainian nuclear power plants running on Westinghouse fuel due to the fact that the plants were built according to Soviet projects, and American fuel is not ideal.

2019: Buying expensive fuel assemblies from Westinghouse

According to the Importgenius export-import website, in 2019 Westinghouse sold fuel assemblies for nuclear power plants to Energoatom at a price of 996,000 dollars apiece. At the same time, Rosatom put 675 thousand assemblies at the Khmelnitsky nuclear power plant.

At the same time, Westinghouse has uranium with an enrichment of 3.48-3.82%, and TVEL - 3.99-4.38%, that is, Russian assemblies are also more powerful.

2018: Shutdown and repair of the second power unit

The second power unit of the Khmelnytsky NPP was disconnected on January 3, 2018 after malfunctions occurred in the reactor control and protection complex.

On January 8, 2018, the second power unit of the Khmelnitsky NPP was launched after restoration work, the press service of the Ukrainian Energoatom said:

January 8, 2018 at 15:19 (16:19 Moscow time), power unit No. 2 of the Khmelnitsky NPP is connected to the power grid after repair work. Capacity continues to be dialed. "

Regular problems at Ukrainian nuclear power plants began to arise in connection with the use of nuclear fuel produced by the American Westinghouse, which are trying to squeeze Russia out of the Ukrainian nuclear fuel market, for reactors built according to Russian design.

So on January 3, 2018, one third of the power units of all Ukrainian nuclear power plants were under repair.

2016: Termination of the agreement with Russia on the completion of the 3rd and 4th blocks

In May 2016, the Ukrainian side unilaterally terminated the agreement on the completion of the 3rd and 4th units of the Khmelnitsky nuclear power plant by a Russian company.