Kharkov-based Turboatom has already manufactured the main part of the turbine unit for the VVER-1000 at unit 3 of Ukraine’s Khmelnitsky nuclear power plant (KhNPP), Energoatom said on 1 December.

Preparations are now underway for the manufacture of auxiliary thermal and mechanical equipment for the power unit's turbine hall.

First Deputy General Director for New Nuclear Installations at Energoatom’s Atomproektengineering Separate Subdivision (API), Yuri Cherepanov, said a working meeting with specialists from Turboatom had determined the volumes of further manufacture and supply of thermal mechanical equipment for completing KhNPP.

“For its part, Turboatom is ready to act as a complete supplier of a turbine plant, generators, turbine control and regulation systems and auxiliary equipment for turbine halls for power units 3&4 of KhNPP," Cherepanov noted.

During the meeting, issues of localising the production of equipment for turbine rooms for the two units was discussed, taking into account the capabilities of Ukrainian enterprises. Representatives of Turboatom informed API about negotiations with potential suppliers of generators for the units, including the Ukrainian State Enterprise Electrotyazhmash, as well as leading foreign equipment manufacturers, namely General Electric Power, Mitsubishi, Toshiba, Siemens, Doosan and Dongfang Electric.

Yuri Cherepanov emphasised that the turbine plants K-1100-5.9/25, which Turboatom will manufacture for KhNPP, in combination with the use of modernised thermal mechanical equipment, will further increase the capacity of power units to 110% of the installed capacity. He said all equipment for units 3&4 will be produced taking into account the latest national and international standards for the safe operation of NPPs.

“Even at the design and construction stages, all the measures provided for by the Comprehensive (Consolidated) Programme for Enhancing the Safety of Power Units of Nuclear Power Plants of Ukraine (KSPB) will be implemented. That is, those upgrades and equipment upgrades that were carried out at the existing units of Ukrainian NPPs in order to increase their safety and efficiency over the past 10 years in separate stages will be initially implemented at KhNPP units 3&4.

He also noted that the units will also be able to operate in load following mode, which is extremely important for the daily power regulation of the united energy system of Ukraine.

In September, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a decree "On urgent measures to stabilise the situation in the energy sector and further development of nuclear energy", which provides for the completion of KhNPP 3&4.

Unit 3 began to be built in September 1985 and unit 4 in June 1986. Both units are designed for a current capacity of 1000MW, with a VVER-1000/V-320 reactor. Although unit 3 was 75% complete and unit 4 28% work was stopped in 1990 in the wake of the Chernobyl accident.

Energoatom said KhNPP is strategically important, because it will contribute to the energy security of Ukraine and the stability of the energy system. “In addition, we are talking about the creation of thousands of new jobs, which will significantly improve the socio-economic development of the region where the KhNPP is located, as well as the regions of Ukraine where the factories producing equipment for the NPP power units under construction are located,” Energoatom noted.