Photo from UNIAN
National Nuclear Energy Generating Company Energoatom has agreed with British bank Barclays on financing the completion of the third and fourth power units at Khmelnytsky nuclear power plant (NPP), the company's press service reported referring to a statement by Energoatom President Yuriy Nedashkovsky.
"We have agreements with the world's renowned bank Barclays, and we will receive funds to complete the construction of two power units at Khmelnytsky NPP," Nedashkovsky said at a briefing in Brussels on October 29.
According to him, the completion of the NPP's two units will be implemented in the framework of " Ukraine-EU Energy Bridge" project providing for the transfer of electricity from Khmelnytsky NPP's second power unit to the European Union.
"In other words, one project focuses on three directions at the same time. The first one is the technical export of electricity, the second [direction] is the financial instruments, and the third one is the creation of additional power generating facilities," the company's president said.
Nedashkovsky also recalled that Energoatom intends to implement the project in cooperation with Polish company Polenergia.
"Such a long-term contract for power supply will become a financial instrument for the completion of two other power units at Khmelnytsky nuclear power plant. Thus, step-by-step, power supply [capacities] from Ukraine to Europe will be expanded," Nedashkovsky said.
At this, he noted the timing of the project implementation can be until 2020.
As UNIAN reported earlier, according to the government program, Ukraine plans to complete until 2020 the construction of two power units at Khmelnytsky NPP whose foundations were laid back during the Soviet times.
At the same time, the project documentation does not specify what kind of technologies is to be used to complete the construction of power units No. 3 and No. 4 at Khmelnytsky NPP.
The winner of the international contest held in October 2008 for selecting the type of power unit assembly to construct units No. 3 and No. 4 at the NPP was Russian Atomstroyexport company, a division of Rosatom, the Russian Federation national nuclear corporation. U.S. based nuclear power company Westinghouse and South Korean KEPCO also took part in the contest.
Late in 2014, Energoatom's head said that Ukraine might denounce the agreement with Russia due to the fact that the latter had not made any progress in implementing the project. In mid-September 2015, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine did denounce this agreement. It is expected that Czech engineering company Skoda JS will replace the Russian contractor to supply equipment for Khmelnytsky NPP. Energoatom intends to use at least 70% of domestically manufactured equipment for the nuclear power plant.
Currently, the construction of power unit No. 3 is completed by 75%, while unit No. 4 is 25% ready.