Khmelnitsky feasibility study progresses

03 February 2011

The Kiev Institute Energoproekt (KIEP) has completed the draft version of the feasibility study for the completion of two more units at Ukraine's Khmelnitsky nuclear power plant. Meanwhile, a Russian bank has said that it is ready to help finance the project.

 

Khmelnitsky 3 (EnergoAtom)

The partially-completed

Khmelnitsky 3 (Image:

EnergoAtom)

KIEP has submitted the draft version of the feasibility study to Ukraine's national electricity generator EnergoAtom. Pending any comments and amendments the utility requests, KIEP will then be submit the study to the Derzhbudekspertyza (state construction planning committee) for review.

 

EnergoAtom said that the feasibility study is just one stage in the process of planning the construction of industrial facilities. The study includes the examination of previous project studies, project financing analysis, environmental impact assessment and project scheduling.

 

In June 2010, Russia and Ukraine signed an intergovernmental agreement on the resumption of work on the two partially built reactors at Khmelnitsky. The Ukrainian parliament ratified that agreement last month. Under the agreement, Russia will provide financing for the amount required to design, construct and commission the two reactors, including for payments for services and goods supplied by Russia. Any components supplied from Ukraine for the project would be financed from the Ukrainian budget.

 

According to EnergoAtom, Russia's Sberbank 'has confirmed its readiness to provide credit to EnergoAtom for the construction of Khmelnitsky 3 and 4.' However, the utility said that the 'principle condition from the Russian side is for the credit to get government guarantees to ensure the full implementation of the relevant debt.' Energoatom said that it is working to get government guarantees in place by the end of this year.

 

Construction of Khmelnitsky 3 began in September 1985, while that of unit 4 started in June 1986. Work on the two units stopped in 1990 when they were 75% and 28% complete, respectively.

 

The Ukrainian government envisages finalizing the project and approving the design for the new units in 2011. Khmelnitsky 3 should be commissioned in 2016, with unit 4 starting up the following year. Russia's AtomStroyExport won a tender in 2008 to construct two AES-92 plants with V-392B reactors at Khmelnitsky, similar to the two VVERs already operating on the site.

 

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News