Khmelnitsky NPP / Photo from UNIAN
Having terminated an agreement with Russia on the completion of construction of power units at Khmelnytsky nuclear power plant (NPP), Ukraine considers the possibility of developing cooperation with China on this issue, Minister of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine Volodymyr Demchyshyn said at a Monday briefing.
"We have denounced the agreement with Russia. Currently we are looking into attracting a new investor. We are looking for a partner. I believe that it should be an international partner. We are now considering China," the minister said.
The minister also noted that Ukraine intends to hold an international contest to select companies for the completion of the third and the fourth units at Khmelnytsky NPP.
As UNIAN reported earlier, at the beginning of October 2015 President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko signed a law denouncing the agreement with the Russian Federation on completion of the construction of the two power units at Khmelnytsky NPP.
Read alsoChina shows interest in Ukraine’s nuclear energyAccording to the government program, Ukraine plans to complete until 2020 the construction of two power units at Khmelnytsky NPP founded 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 at Khmelnytsky NPP.
Read alsoRada denounces agreement with Russia on completion of two units at Khmelnitsky NPP The winner of the international contest held in October 2008 for selecting the reactor type to construct units No. 3 and No. 4 at the NPP was Russian Atomstroyexport, 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.
Read alsoEnergoatom, British Barclays agree on financing Khmelnytsky NPP completionLate 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 to Khmelnytsky NPP.