En route to Energy Independence, Ukraine to start building 4 nuclear reactors in 2024 amidst war with Russia

By Team Asianet Newsable | First Published Jan 25, 2024, 7:23 PM IST

Ukraine is all set to start its journey towards Energy independence as the government has announced the building of four nuclear reactors. The work of all the nuclear reactors is said to begin this year itself.

Ukraine has decided to build four nuclear reactors this year to meet its energy needs amidst war with Russia. The process is being seen as a move towards Energy Independence for Ukraine as severed ties with neighbor Russia have impacted energy import. The Volodymyr Zelenskyy-led government is also looking to diversify its energy consumption as well.

The Ukraine government will start building 4 nuclear reactors as revealed by Energy Minister German Galushchenko on Thursday. Despite the anti-Russia rhetoric from the Ukrainian leaders, the nation is set to import two units that include Russian-made reactors and other necessary equipment. The other two import units are said to be Western-made technology.

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All four nuclear reactors will be built in Ukraine and only the equipment will be imported. The process of building the reactors will take place at the Khmelnytskyi nuclear power plant in the west of Ukraine. The nation built three nuclear reactors post its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. However, it also lost the Zaporizhzhia power plant which is the largest in Europe.

Russia seized control of the infrastructure in 2022 which dwindled Ukraine's needs for energy consumption. The Energy Minister revealed that Ukraine is only waiting for pressure vessels which will be needed to be imported. The work of building the nuclear reactors could take at least 2.5 years.

Herman Halushchenko said, “I think (we'll start construction) in summer-autumn. We need vessels," he added, referring to the reactor pressure vessels that will have to be imported. We want to do the third and fourth units right away. With the 3rd and 4th (Khmelnytkyi units) we want to compensate for Zaporizhzhia, and now we are in the talks with our Bulgarian partners on the two reactors we want to take.”

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