The Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported on Saturday that the foundation stone for reactor units 5 and 6 of the Khmelnytskyi nuclear power plant was laid in the presence of Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko and the US Ambassador in Kiev, Bridget Brink.
The ceremony is said to have taken place on Thursday, but was only announced now for security reasons. In contrast to other types of power plants, Russia has so far spared nuclear facilities from its drone and missile attacks – also out of the awareness that this could cause a nuclear catastrophe that is difficult to calculate in terms of its extent.
The blocks are being built in collaboration with the US nuclear energy company Westinghouse Electric Company. These are AP 1000 type pressurized water reactors with a service life of at least 60 years, according to the company. “This is a more modern and safer technology than the one we use now,” said the acting CEO of Ukrainian nuclear energy operator Energoatom, Petro Kotin. He praised this as a step towards a new, safe and reliable energy supply.
Five billion dollars
The construction time for a reactor is estimated to be four to five years and the cost to be around five billion dollars.
The new reactors do not represent a quick solution to Ukraine’s energy supply problems. Russia, which launched a war of aggression against Ukraine more than two years ago, is systematically bombarding energy supply facilities in the country. Most recently, it specifically targeted thermal and hydroelectric power plants with its missiles – the Ukrainian air defense system is overloaded given the large number of attacks.
