A power unit at a Ukrainian nuclear power plant has been connected to the power grid after scheduled repairs were completed ahead of schedule, the Ministry of Energy has announced.
“This will significantly affect the stability of the power system and reduce the electricity shortage caused by massive Russian attacks on the Ukrainian energy sector,” the ministry said in a Telegram message on Wednesday.
According to the report, in the western and partially southern regions, power supply restrictions have been canceled until 18:00, in all other regions, restrictions are in effect from 0:00 to 24:00.
As reported with reference to DTEK and regional power distribution companies, the schedules of hourly blackouts until 16:00 have been canceled in Kyiv, Kyiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovs’k, Sumy, Kirovohrad, Zhytomyr, Cherkasy, Rivne, Poltava, Zaporizhzhya, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, Khmelnytsky regions.
The Pivdenno-Ukrainian, Khmelnytskyi and Rivne nuclear power plants with a total capacity of about 7,800 MW have reduced capacity to 4,700 MW due to the threat of missile attacks by Russian invaders, NAEC Energoatom said in a Telegram feed Thursday morning.
“As of 6:30 a.m. Thursday, all power units have a combined output of 4,700 MW to the power system,” the statement said.
The NAEC also clarified that the last power supply line to the occupied Zaporizhzhya ZNPP went out as a result of Russian rocket fire at 3:53 a.m. on March 9.
“At present, the plant is de-energized and went into blackout mode for the sixth time during the occupation, the 5th and 6th power units are put into cold state, 18 diesel generators are switched on to supply ZNPP’s own needs. Fuel for their work is left for 10 days,” described the situation in Enerhoatom.
They pointed out that in case of impossibility to resume external power supply to the plant, an accident with radiation consequences for the entire world could happen during this time.
“The countdown has begun,” the company commented.
As reported, the occupied Zaporizhzhya NPP was completely de-energized for the sixth time since the occupation on March 4, 2022, having lost connection with the last power line and the ability to receive electric power from the Ukrainian grid, switched to diesel generators.
Ukrainian nuclear power plants will be able to fully switch to fuel from the American company Westinghouse by the end of 2023, Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko said.
“We have quite optimistic forecasts and confirmation that our cooperation with Westinghouse will enable us to implement this process (provision of American fuel – ER) already by the end of this year,” the minister said on the air of national TV marathon “United News” on Thursday, referring to his visit to the American partners’ fuel fabrication plant.
At that he noted that Ukrainian specialists present at the plant “are doing a lot to produce the corresponding fuel as soon as possible in order to replace the Russian fuel.
Answering the presenter’s question about the prospects of nuclear fuel production in Ukraine, the head of the Ministry of Energy said: “We also have relevant agreements with Westinghouse to build a nuclear fuel production plant in Ukraine. There is no doubt that this will be done.
Along with this Galushchenko paid attention to the fact that the whole Europe is now very urgent to stop using Russian nuclear fuel.
“During our meetings with ministers of power of EU and USA we discussed in details that it is important to ensure fuel production in necessary amount as soon as possible in order to replace Russian fuel in European market”, – he explained, adding that it is impossible to quickly find nuclear fuel substitute, unlike, for example, for gas, because it is produced in certain amount, and increase of amount requires time.
At the same time the minister emphasized that the Russians have almost a monopoly position on the market of fuel for VVER-440 units.
“The Minister stressed that the Russian Federation is nearly a monopolist on the market of VVER-440 power units, therefore we are working to ensure that Westinghouse starts producing assemblies for these units this year which will help to get rid of strong dependence on Rosatom in this area.
As reported, in early March 2022, after a full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia, Energoatom completely abandoned the purchase of Russian nuclear fuel.
On June 2, at the Khmelnitsky nuclear power plant, Energoatom and the US Westinghouse signed an agreement to supply nuclear fuel to all Ukrainian nuclear power plants with 15 power units (currently 7 power units are loaded with this fuel – ER).
Before this in the very beginning of 2022 Peter Kotin, President of Energoatom, in his comments to Interfax-Ukraine noted that it would take Westinghouse about two years to be ready to cover the fuel demand of the NAEK for 13 existing VVER-1000 units, for which time the nuclear power plants have enough fuel.
Asked about the timing of Westinghouse fuel deliveries for the two VVER-440s at the Rivne NPP, Kotin indicated that the first batch of American fuel for VVER-440s will be delivered in 2025.
Then in a March 2022 interview with Interfax-Ukraine, Kotin explained that there were no questions about fuel for VVER-1000, while more effort was needed for fuel for VVER-440 so that Westinghouse would have time to provide supplies next year, which is 2023.
At the same time, Kotin noted that Energoatom is also optimizing fuel delivery schedules so that the U.S. partners can meet the fuel demand. According to him, due to the reduced consumption of electricity during the war, which resulted in reduced production, the units will be able to work longer on the fuel already brought in.
As part of the cooperation, Energoatom and Westinghouse launched a training program for Ukrainian nuclear specialists in the United States, under which more than 60 specialists and nuclear graduates will study the AP1000® technology.
As of Sunday, all nine nuclear power units in the government-controlled territory of Ukraine were operating, but the work of several of them was being limited due to the unreadiness of the energy system to accept all the energy produced from them, the nuclear power plant operator NAEC Energoatom said.
“On December 18, 2022, as of 13:00, all nine nuclear power units located in Ukraine-controlled territory were operating. However, the total capacity of the two units is limited by more than 600 MW due to the unpreparedness of the energy system to receive from them the full possible amount of electricity, as the energy infrastructure facilities have not yet been restored after the shelling of December 16,” the report says.
It specifies that the NAEK expects the infrastructure to be restored as soon as possible to “enable the full available capacity from domestic NPPs as soon as possible.
The IAEA will increase the number of its staff at Ukrainian nuclear power plants, the international organization’s director general Raphael Grossi said Tuesday.
“I have also confirmed that the IAEA will increase its presence at all nuclear power plants in Ukraine to ensure the protection of the energy infrastructure,” Grossi wrote on Twitter.
In addition, he said he met with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba.
“We will continue to work together to urgently create a nuclear safety zone around the Zaporizhzhya NPP,” Grossi added, posting a photo with Kuleba.
The Pivdenno-Ukrainian and Khmelnytskyi nuclear power plants have been disconnected from the energy system due to missile attacks on the power facilities by the Russian occupants.
“Pivdenno-Ukrainian NPP – Emergency shutdown of power units,” MP Alexei Goncharenko said in his Telegram channel on Wednesday.
“Stopping the units. There is no electricity, water, possibly heat,” wrote the mayor of Netishin, a satellite town of the Khmelnytsky NPP, Alexander Suprunyuk in his Facebook.
As reported, the NEC “Ukrenergo” confirmed the missiles hit a number of power facilities on Wednesday and the emergency blackouts across Ukraine.
