Zelensky publicly endorsed the completion of new units at the Khmelnytsky Nuclear Power Plant.

In his address on February 4, President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed support for the completion of new energy units at the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant and urged the Verkhovna Rada to vote on the necessary legislation.

"Completing the construction is crucial for Ukraine's energy independence and regional stability, and it is important for the people's deputies to support this project," he stated.

Zelensky also noted that he discussed this issue with the Director General of the IAEA, Rafael Grossi, who visited Ukraine on February 4 and also supports the strategy for expanding the NPP.

Currently, two bills concerning the Khmelnytskyi NPP are under consideration in the Verkhovna Rada:

• Bill No. 11392, which proposes permission for the purchase of reactors for the third and fourth VVER-1000 units in Bulgaria. This project needs to be approved in the coming weeks.
• Bill No. 11146, which pertains to the placement, design, and construction of the third and fourth units. It will be reviewed after the technical and economic justification is updated.

Note:

The Khmelnytskyi NPP is located in western Ukraine, at the junction of three regions: Khmelnytskyi, Rivne, and Ternopil. Construction of the plant began in 1981, and currently, it operates two reactors. The first was commissioned in 1987, and the second in 2004. Both units are equipped with VVER-1000 reactors with a total capacity of 2000 MW.

The project envisions four units, but the third and fourth units have only been partially constructed. Energoatom intends to complete the construction of two VVER-1000 units and build two more powerful units using American AP1000 technology, each with a capacity of up to 1200 MW. If these plans are realized, the total capacity of the Khmelnytskyi NPP will exceed 6000 MW, making it the largest in Europe.