The IAEA supported the completion of the Khmelnytskyi NPP

The IAEA supported the completion of the Khmelnytskyi NPP

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) supports Ukraine’s desire to complete the construction of two nuclear power units at the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant and considers it a wise and timely step for Ukraine.

This was announced by the Director General of the Agency, Rafael Grossi, during his visit to Ukraine, reports TSN.

"We believe that this is a smart decision for Ukraine because, as we are currently seeing, nuclear energy has become a foundation that supported the country’s economy during the toughest period that any country can experience — war," Grossi noted.

He emphasized that the buildings of the Khmelnytskyi plant are at a high level of readiness, with significant efforts and investments already made there.

During a meeting with the head of the IAEA, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also stressed the importance of completing the construction of the power units and urged parliament to make the necessary decisions as soon as possible.

"Today we discussed two units that can be added to our nuclear generation. This will truly be a significant contribution to the stability of the country’s energy system. And now the ball, as you know, is in the court of the Ukrainian parliament. We and the IAEA are united in the opinion that parliamentarians should make decisions very quickly. We have an opportunity to provide Ukraine with two additional units," the president stated.

The head of the IAEA also emphasized that the Agency is ready to provide the necessary technical support in the implementation of the project and has already started work in this direction.

"The Agency is certainly ready, and we have already begun some analytical work on specific areas where we could offer a safety assessment of this project," noted the IAEA Director General.

It should be noted that unit No. 3 of the Khmelnytskyi NPP is 80% complete, and unit No. 4 is 25% complete. In April, the Ukrainian government approved the project to complete the construction of the plant. According to plans, unit No. 3 will be connected to the grid in 3 years.