South-Ukrainian NPP

The NPP is part of the South Ukrainian Energy Complex and works in cooperation with the Alexander Hydroelectric Power Station on the South Bug River and the Tashlyk PSPP.

At the beginning of 2018, the South Ukrainian NPP has three power units VVER-1000 a total capacity of 3000 MW.

2024: Start of preparatory work for the construction of new power units

In May 2024, it was announced that Energoatom was starting preparatory work for the construction of new power units at the South Ukrainian nuclear power plant. This was stated by the chairman of the board of the national company Pyotr Kotin.

"At the South Ukrainian NPP, where three power units with a total capacity of 3000 MW are currently operating, two new power units No. 4 and No. 5 will be built using AR1000 technology," said Westinghouse the head of Energoatom. According to him, the company is starting preparations for the construction of two new power units.

"Given the urgent needs of Ukraine in modern reliable generation and a long construction cycle, we must begin this process today, carry out engineering, survey and pre-design work, carry out the necessary calculations... According to the energy strategy of Ukraine until 2050, we need to have 24 GW of atomic capacity, "said Petr Kotin.

2019

Employees of the South Ukrainian NPP mined cryptocurrency at the workplace

In August 2019, it became known that employees of the South Ukrainian NPP connected the computer equipment of the nuclear power plant to the Internet to extract cryptocurrency. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) considered this incident a potential violation of state secrets, since the nuclear power plant belongs to critical infrastructure. The agency is conducting an investigation.

Ukrainian workers connected nuclear power plants to the Internet to mine cryptocurrency

Officials South Ukrainian Nuclear Power Plant engaged illegally mining cryptocurrencies in the workplace. As reported in the court materials, in order to extract cryptocurrency in the secure premises of the nuclear power plant, computer equipment with an Internet connection was unauthorized. As a result of these actions, information about physical protection, which is a state secret, was disclosed^[1]

As a result of a search conducted in the office of spare parts and equipment in the administrative building of the nuclear power plant, as well as in the military unit located on the territory of the nuclear power plant, law enforcement officers seized computer equipment. In particular, video cards, hard drives, system units, power supplies, the CTC union media converter, fiber and network cables and other components were seized. The seized equipment was seized in order to prevent its damage or destruction. One system contained six Radeon RX 470 video cards and another contained five, according to court documents.

It is not reported how it became known about the unauthorized use of technological equipment for mining. SBU employees checked the South Ukrainian nuclear power plant on July 10, 2019, they confiscated computers and equipment specially designed for the extraction of cryptocurrency. The equipment was found in the administrative offices of the power plant, and not in its industrial part, reports ZDNet.

 The seized equipment was seized, according to the decision of the Central District Court of Nikolaev, which considered the petition for the seizure of the relevant equipment. What kind of cryptocurrency was mined at the nuclear power plant, the court did not say.

The SBU does not exclude that not only NPP employees mined cryptocurrency, but also the military from the National Guard of Ukraine, who guarded the station. According to the security service, the suspects decided to use equipment at a secure mining facility due to rising cryptocurrency prices after a long period of fall.

As a result of the placement of computer equipment in the premises of the nuclear power plant, information about the physical protection of the plant was disclosed, which is a state secret, security officials say.^[2]

2018

The third power unit is disconnected for repair for 104 days

On April 7, 2018, the press service of NAEK Energoatom announced a stop for the planned repair of the third unit of the South Ukrainian nuclear power plant on its official website.

number three of the South Ukrainian NPP is disconnected from the power grid for an average planned preventive repair of 104 days," the press service said.

It is at the South Ukrainian NPP that since December 2014, the company has been implementing a program for the pilot operation of American nuclear fuel. Westinghouse For the operation of American fuel, a third power unit is used, which from that time often began to malfunction. Thus, emergency automation twice during 2017 - in January and September - stopped the operation of the reactor^[3]

Emergency shutdown of the main pump of the third power unit

In January 2018, the main pump of the third power unit of the South Ukrainian NPP turned off. For this reason, the power unit capacity fell twice. This was reported by the State Inspectorate of Nuclear Regulation of Ukraine (GIAR).

"On January 11, 2018, power unit No. 3 of the South Ukrainian NPP operated at a capacity of NEL = 1000 MW. At 22.45 (23.45 Moscow time - ed.) By the action of protection, the reactor coolant pump No. 1 was disconnected, as a result of which the power unit was automatically unloaded to a power of NEL = 590 MW. According to preliminary assessment, this event is qualified as a violation of category "P08..." the level according to INES is "below the scale/level" 0, "the main^[4] of^[4] the^[4] NPP^[4].

A commission has been created to investigate the causes of the violation, the radiation condition at the site of the South Ukrainian NPP is unchanged, physical protection is in normal mode.

This is not the first case at the South Ukrainian nuclear power plant. On January 3, the second power unit of the nuclear power plant was disconnected from the power grid to troubleshoot problems. On October 30, 2017, power unit No. 3 of the South Ukrainian NPP was disconnected due to loss of generator excitation.

In January 2018, about 75% of the reactor core of the third power unit is filled with nuclear fuel from the American company Westinghouse, the remaining 25% are assemblies of the Russian TVEL.

Notes