REUTERS
A consortium of three leading European energy companies – Westinghouse Electric Sweden AB (Sweden), Polenergia International S.ar.l. (Luxembourg) and EDF Trading Limited (UK) are planning to participate in the implementation of the Ukraine-EU Energy Bridge project, the press service of Ukraine's national nuclear energy generating company Energoatom has reported.
The project will allow exports of electricity from Khmelnytsky nuclear power plant (KhNPP) unit No. 2 to Poland and Hungary, according to the report.
It is also noted that the consortium's proposals for the implementation of the Energy Bridge project were approved by the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry.
"The draft conclusions were considered and approved at the Ministry of Energy's working group meeting on the implementation of the Ukraine-EU Energy Bridge pilot project. These conclusions were formed based on the analysis of the effectiveness of public-private partnership. The Ministry of Energy received the relevant proposals from the international consortium," Energoatom said.
Read alsoCabinet approves Ukraine-EU Energy Bridge projectAccording to the report, the Energy Bridge project will include several aspects: the expansion of the island of Burshtyn TPP, which is disconnected from the unified energy system of Ukraine, and the inclusion of KhNPP's unit No. 2, Zapadna 750/330 kV substation and the interstate 750 kV line Khmelnytska NPP – Rzeszow (Poland); long-term export of electricity to the EU countries and receiving funds for completion of power units Nos. 3 and 4 at KhNPP; increase in the level of use and increase in the maximum capacity of the power units of the South Ukrainian and Zaporizhia NPPs.
"The estimated cost of the project in accordance with the feasibility study is EUR 243.5 million. The project does not require direct budgetary financing at any stage of its implementation. All activities envisaged in its framework will be financed from the private partner's own funds," the press service said.
Energoatom has earlier presented its Ukraine-EU Energy Bridge project for linking KhNPP power unit No. 2 with ENTSO-E and exporting electricity. President of Ukraine's national nuclear energy generating company Energoatom Yuriy Nedashkovsky noted then that electricity supplies to Europe under long-term contracts might allow attracting investment in the completion of power units Nos. 3 and 4 at KhNPP whose readiness is assessed at 73% and 28%, respectively.
Read alsoEnergoatom boosts revenue from electricity sales by 25% in H1Nedashkovsky also reported that Energoatom plans that a draft law on the completion of the third and fourth power units of KhNPP would be approved at the Cabinet meeting by the end of this year and submitted to parliament. According to the company's estimates, Ukraine's integrated power grids will additionally get 15 billion kWh per year due to the construction of these units. The third unit is expected to be commissioned in 2025.
UNIAN memo. Khmelnytsky NPP is located in the city of Netishyn, Khmelnitsky region. Two power units (VVER-1000) with a total capacity of 2 GW operate at the station (put into operation in 1987 and 2004). The main purpose of the station is to cover the gap of electricity facilities in western Ukraine. Work on the completion of the third and fourth units at KhNPP have not been done in the past years, among other things, due to lack of funding.