Expansion decided

Ukraine wants to buy two nuclear reactors from Bulgaria

Control room of the Kozloduy nuclear power plant in Bulgaria(Bild: AFP)

The Ukrainian government now wants to finally complete the construction of additional nuclear reactors at the Khmelnytsky nuclear power plant in western Ukraine, which began back in the 1980s. To this end, equipment and parts from unfinished nuclear power plants are now being purchased from Bulgaria.

The Ukrainian parliament has already given the green light for the purchase of two Soviet-design reactors. According to estimates, the purchase will cost the equivalent of at least 580 million euros. The reactors each have a gross output of 1000 megawatts. The parliament in Bulgaria has agreed to talks about a possible sale.

The Khmelnytsky nuclear power plant in the west of the country is to be expanded.(Bild: APA/AFP/Anatolii STEPANOV)

With two operating units and a gross output of 2000 megawatts, the Khmelnytsky nuclear power plant is the smallest of the three Ukrainian nuclear power plants in operation. A fifth and a sixth reactor are also to be built at the power plant using US technology. 

Largest nuclear power plant occupied by Russians
Ukraine, which was attacked by Russia almost three years ago, covers over half of its electricity needs with nuclear energy. The Russian military has repeatedly attempted to paralyze the Ukrainian power supply by launching targeted attacks on power plants and the power grid. The largest nuclear power plant in Europe with six units, located in the Zaporizhzhya region, has been occupied by Russian troops since 2022. The nuclear power plant was shut down for safety reasons.