Ukraine is nearing the conclusion of negotiations with Bulgaria for the supply of reactors, according to the Ministry of Energy.
"The IAEA has expressed its support for Ukraine's efforts to expand nuclear energy, particularly the completion of units at Khmelnytskyi NPP, and is prepared to offer technical assistance," the statement reads.
Construction is expected to begin once the Verkhovna Rada approves the necessary legislation. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has proposed launching a technical support mission to ensure the safe integration of new components into the existing systems at Khmelnytskyi NPP.
The projected timeline for the completion of Unit 3 is three years, while Unit 4 is expected to be completed within four years. However, work cannot commence until the Verkhovna Rada approves the bill, which has not yet been submitted for consideration.
Background on Khmelnytskyi NPP
Located in western Ukraine, near the borders of the Khmelnytskyi, Rivne, and Ternopil regions, the Khmelnytskyi NPP began construction in 1981. It currently has two operational reactors—one launched in 1987 and another in 2004—with a combined capacity of 2,000 MW from VVER-1000 type reactors.
Originally, the station was designed to have four units, but the third and fourth units were only partially constructed. Energoatom, Ukraine’s nuclear power company, plans to complete the two VVER-1000 units and add two more powerful reactors using American AP1000 technology, which would generate up to 1,200 MW each. Once completed, the total capacity of the Khmelnytskyi NPP would exceed 6,000 MW, making it the largest nuclear power plant in Europe.
Ukraine's Nuclear Energy Landscape
Ukraine operates four nuclear power plants: Khmelnytskyi, Rivne, South-Ukrainian, and Zaporizhzhya NPP. However, the Zaporizhzhya plant has been under Russian occupation since March 4, 2022, leaving three operational plants as of 2024. Other unfinished nuclear plants include Chygyrinsk, Kharkiv, Odesa, and Crimean NPPs.
The Chernobyl NPP, which ceased operations on December 15, 2000, is not part of Ukraine’s active nuclear plants. It is now a state enterprise and has been separated from Energoatom's operational control.
