Ukraine currently operates four nuclear power plants (NPPs), at Khmelnytskyy, Rivne, Konstyantynivka, and Zaporizhzhya. The last operating reactors at the Chornobyl NPP were shut down in December 2000. Overall, these NPPs constitute a significant source of energy for Ukraine: given an uninterrupted fuel supply, they are capable of satisfying nearly half of Ukraine's energy needs. The government of Ukraine is interested in further expanding its nuclear power generating capacity, and has been seeking funding for the construction of new reactors.
Khmelnytskyy
Rivne
Konstyantynivka
Zaporizhzhya
Chornobyl
Archived Power Reactor Developments
Reactor Incidents Table
Location: Neteshyn, Slavuta Rayon, Khmelnytskyy Oblast
[Enerhoatom Web Ssite, http://www.gca.atom.gov.ua. ] {Entered 3/3/2000}
Subordination: Enerhoatom
Type: VVER-1000, model 320
Units: One (operational)
Unit 1: initial criticality November 1987 (operational 8 August 1988).
Sources:
[1] "Power Reactors: Country-by-Country Summaries," World Nuclear Industry Handbook, 1995, p. 33.
[2] Uranium Institute,"Power Reactors in Ukraine," http://www.uilondon.org/, 15 July 1996, p. 1. {Updated on 8/21/96 GN}
Power: 953 MWe
Fuel: Enriched to 3.3-4.4 percent.
[Ukrainian Media Digest (in Ukrainian), 2 February 1993, 78-79.]
Status: Since 1992 the plant has been unable to ship its spent fuel to Krasnoyarsk in Russia for reprocessing because Russia will not accept its spent nuclear fuel. The plant has reconfigured its storage pool to accommodate more spent fuel.[1] In 1990, the Ukrainian Rada issued a moratorium which stopped construction on Units 2, 3, and 4. However, in October 1993, citing Ukraine's energy shortage, the Rada voted to restart the project. In 1994 former president Kravchuk issued a decree calling for the completion of Units 2, 3, and 4.[1] As of March 2000, Unit 2 is 80-85 percent complete.[2] As of 1999, Unit 3 was 50 percent complete, and Unit 4 was 10 percent complete.[1] Please see the Khmelnytsyy NPP Developments file for more information.
Sources:
[1] Pacific Northwest Laboratory website, http://insp.pnl.gov:2080/?profiles/khmelnytskyy/kh_history .
[2] "Raboty po dostroyke atomnykh stantsiy na Ukraine v 1999 godu byli vypolneny na 60% ," Interfax, 1 March 2000. {Entered 3/3/2000 GD}
Safety: A majority of the MPC&A programs at Khmelnytskyy were completed in 1998 by the US Department of Energy (DOE). DOE's main focus was on establishing the Khmelnytskyy Training Center, a facility at which NPP operators in Ukraine learn new training procedures. An employee training methodology was established at the center and was incorporated at other Ukrainian NPPs. Support items for the training center include computers, printers, scanners, faxes, and related peripherals. According to the DOE, more than 2,000 personnel have taken part in training at the Center. Other projects at Khmelnytskyy have focused on improving operating procedures and practices. A safety parameter display system was installed in July 1998 and two ultrasonic flaw detectors have been delivered. In-depth safety assessments and provision of nondestructive examination equipment have also been priorities of the DOE. A full-scope simulator was installed in December 1997.
[Pacific Northwest Laboratory website, http://insp.pnl.gov:2080/?profiles/khmelnytskyy/doe_scope .] {Entered 3/3/2000 GD}
Location: Kuznetsovsk
Subordination: Enerhoatom
Type:
Units 1 and 2: VVER-440, model 213
Unit 3: VVER-1000, model 320
Units: Three
Unit 1: initial criticality12/80 (operational 9/81)
Unit 2: initial criticality 12/81 (operational 7/82)
Unit 3: initial criticality 11/86 (operational 5/87)
Sources:
[1] "World List Of Nuclear Power Plants," Nuclear News, September 1994, p. 71.
[2] "Power Reactors: Country-by-country Summaries," World Nuclear Industry Handbook, 1995, p. 33.
[3] Uranium Institute,"Power Reactors in Ukraine", http://www.uilondon.org/, 15 July 1996, p. 1. {Updated on 8/21/96 GN}
Power:
Unit 1 - 420 MWe
Unit 2 - 420 MWe
Unit 3 - 954 MWe
Fuel:
Units 1 and 2 - enriched to 3.3 percent.
Unit 3 - enriched to 3.3-4.4 percent.
[NEI World Nuclear Industry Handbook, 1992, p. 94.]
Safety: The US Department of Energy (DOE) is active in improving safety at Rivne NPP. DOE programs began in 1993 and have focused on improving the safety of day-to-day plant operations. In its initial assessment of Rivne, DOE emphasized the development of emergency operating instructions, improvements in operator training, and the performance of in-depth safety assessments. DOE projects have included a comprehensive safety assessment of Unit 3, the delivery of six ultrasonic flaw detectors, components for a full-scope simulator at Unit 3, operator exchanges, initiation of the Systematic Approach to Training Methodology from the Khmelnytskyy Training Center , and the drafting of new safety procedures for VVER-440/213 units.
[Pacific Northwest Laboratories website, http://insp.pnl.gov:2080/?profiles/rivne/doe_scope .] {Entered 3/21/2000, GD}
Comments: In May 1996 it was reported that out of five nuclear units officially under construction in Ukraine, Rivne's Unit 4 is one of the two units given priority, and was due for completion in 1998.[1] Other reports have given varying estimates of the pace of construction and estimated completion dates. According to Deputy Prime Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov, as of March 2000 over $1 billion was needed to complete Rivne Unit 4 and Khmelnytskyy Unit 2.[2] However, just two weeks later another Deputy Prime Minister, Yuliya Tymoshenko, stated that Rivne-4 was 90 percent complete and that only 3 billion hryvnyas (about $550 million as of March 2000) were necessary for completion of the project, which could be finished in a year to eighteen months.[3] Funding for the completion of Unit 4 may come from one of two sources. The first source is the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) which has proposed a $1.47 billion dollar credit. The second source is Russia, which has proposed a joint Russian-Ukrainian project with an estimated cost of $800 million.[4]
Sources:
[1] Nucnet, 20 May 1996, No. 25.
[2] "Ukraine steps up talks with EBRD on funding construction of nuclear reactors," Interfax, 3 March 2000.
[3] UNIAN, 14 March 2000; in "Govt views terms for Nuclear Plant Construction," FBIS Document CEP20000314000321.
[4] "Raboty po dostroyke atomnykh stantsiy na Ukraine v 1999 godu byli vypolneny na 60%," Interfax, 1 March 2000. {Entered 3/23/2000 GD}
Location: Konstyantynivka (Konstantinovka)
Subordination: Enerhoatom
Types:
Unit 1: VVER-1000, model 302
Unit 2: VVER-1000, model 338
Unit 3: VVER-1000, model 320
[Steinberg, 8/94.]
Units: Three
Unit 1: initial criticality in 12/82 (operational 10/83)
Unit 2: initial criticality12/84 (operational 4/85)
Unit 3 initial criticality 9/89 (operational 12/89)
Sources:
[1] "World List Of Nuclear Power Plants," Nuclear News, September 1994, p. 71.
[2] "Power Reactors in Ukraine," Uranium Institute - Power Reactors in Ukraine, http://www.uilondon.org/ukrpower.htm. {Updated on 8/21/96 GN}
Power: 953 MWe per operating unit
Fuel: Enriched to 3.3-4.4 percent
Sources:
[1] NEI World Nuclear Industry Handbook 1992, p. 97.
[2] Steinberg, August 1994.
Status: Unit 4 is still under construction and is not expected to come on-line until after 2000. According to Serhiy Lopatin, it is still uncertain whether Unit 4 will ever be completed due to a lack of financial resources; currently there are no plans for its completion. Construction was halted between 1990-1993 due to the moratorium on nuclear power station construction. For more information please see the South Ukraine Developments and Spent Fuel files, and the Ukraine General Power Reactor Developments file.
Sources:
[1] "Only Eight Nuclear Reactors Functioning," UNIAN, 3 October 1995.
[2] Interfax-Ukraine, 3 October 1995.
[3] "Nuclear Power Programs in Developing Countries of the World: Eastern Europe and Central Asia," Nuexco review, No. 322, June 1995, p. 25.
[4] Nucleonics Week, 30 July 1992, p. 13.
[5] CISNP interview with Ukrainian nuclear official, June 19, 1995.
Safety: The US Department of Energy (DOE) is active in improving safety at the plant. DOE programs began in 1995 and have focused on developing full-scope simulators for operator training, performing detailed safety assessments, and providing safety parameter display systems. Specific management and safety improvements include a full-scope simulator for Unit 1, operator exchange programs, delivery of components for the Unit 3 full-scope simulator, training methodology improvements, a computer with network capabilities, and staff training. Six ultrasonic flaw detectors were delivered. An in-depth safety assessment of Unit 1 was undertaken in 1999.[1] Enhanced security measures have been completed at the NPP, but no internal security improvements have been made to eliminate the threat of an "insider" stealing nuclear material.[2]
Sources:
[1] Pacific Northwest Laboratories website, http://insp.pnl.gov:2080/?profiles/south_ukraine/su.
[2] NISNP discussions with Ukrainian government official, June 1999, UKR990600. {Entered 3/2/2000 GD}
Location: Energodar
Subordination: Enerhoatom
Type: VVER-1000, model 320
Units: Six
Unit 1: initial criticality 9/84 (operational 4/85)
Unit 2: initial criticality 6/85 (operational 10/85)
Unit 3: initial criticality 4/86 (operational 1/87)
Unit 4: initial criticality 12/87 (operational 1/88)
Unit 5: initial criticality 6/89 (operational 10/89)
Unit 6: in 10/95 (operational immediately)
Sources:
[1] "World List of Nuclear Power Plants," Nuclear News, September 1994, p. 71.
[2] "Power Reactors: Country-by-country Summaries," World Nuclear Industry Handbook, 1995, p. 33.
[3] Ukraine Opens New Nuclear Reactor," United Press International, 6 October 1995.
[4] "Ukraine," UI News Briefing, NB95.41-1, 3-10 October 1995.
[5] "Power Reactors in Ukraine," Uranium Institute website, http://www.uilondon.org, 15 July 1996, p. 1. {Updated 8/21/96 GN}
Power: 953 MWe per operating unit
Sources:
[1] "World List of Nuclear Power Plants," Nuclear News, September 1994, p. 71.
[2] "Power Reactors in Ukraine," Uranium Institute website, http://www.uilondon.org,, 15 July 1996, p. 1. {Updated on 8/21/96 GN}
Fuel: Enriched to 3.3-4.4 percent
[NEI World Nuclear Industry Handbook, 1992, p. 104-105.]
Status: Six reactors are operating, making this plant Europe's largest with 5700 MWe.
["Interview With Mikhail Umanets: Derzhkomatom Speaks," Nukem, August 1995, p. 20.]
Safety: The US Department of Energy (DOE) has been active in improving safety at the plant. DOE programs began in 1993 and have focused on improving the safety of day-to-day plant operations, upgrading safety systems, and ensuring adequate storage facilities for spent fuel. DOE projects have included operator training (since 1994), new operating procedures and practices (1993-1997), and in-depth safety assessments (since 1996). In addition, DOE provided fire-fighting and fire-prevention materials and equipment (since 1993) as well as a dry storage system for spent fuel (since 1994).
DOE Management and Operational Safety upgrades include drafts of a new set of emergency operating instructions for both operators and management; an operator exchange program, upgrades to the full-scope simulator for Unit 5, simulator instructor training sessions, computer equipment and peripherals, utilization of the Systematic Approach to Training methodology from the Khmelnytskyy NPP , and staff training that focuses on internal quality assurance audits.
DOE Engineering and Technology upgrades include the delivery of fire-resistant sealant materials, fire detectors, sprinkler heads, fire fighting equipment, technology transfer to a Ukrainian company (Askenn Concern) that manufactures fire-resistant doors, delivery of equipment to inspect steam-generator tubing, and the delivery of 12 ultrasonic flaw detectors.
DOE Fuel Cycle Safety upgrades include a project to provide three spent fuel dry-storage casks, a cask transporter, training for the use of this equipment, a construction license from the Ukrainian Ministry of Environmental Protection and Nuclear Safety , and procedures for the dry-cask storage system.
Lastly, in the Nuclear Safety in an Institutional and Regulatory Framework area, DOE improvements include training Ukrainian regulators to use new analytical tools for evaluating dry-storage safety compliance and creating a national standard for quality assurance at nuclear facilities.
[Pacific Northwest Laboratories Web Site, http://insp.pnl.gov:2080/.../za_history .] {Entered 3/28/2000 GD}
Location: Prypyat
Type: RBMK-1000
Units: Four (All units have been shut down)
Unit 1: initial criticality 8/77 (operational 5/78)
Unit 2: initial criticality 11/78 (operational 5/79)
Unit 3: initial criticality 6/81 (operational 6/82)
Unit 4: initial criticality 11/83 (operational 12/83)
["World Nuclear Industry Handbook 1995," Nuclear Engineering International, p. 33.] {Entered 1/17/97 MEW}
Power:
Unit 1: 700 MWe
Unit 2: 700 MWe
Unit 3: 925 MWe
Fuel: Enriched to three levels: 1.8, 2.0 and 2.4 percent
According to Andriy Glukhov, 1.8 percent enriched fuel has not been used for more than one year and is currently only being stored in spent fuel ponds in reactor halls and in an AFR SFSF (Away From Reactors Spent Fuel Storage Facility), which is located on-site. More on spent fuel and radioactive waste.
[Correspondence with Andriy Glukhov, Head of the Safeguards and Safe Transportation Department in the UkrSCNRS, January 1995.]
Status: Unit 1: shut down on 11/30/96.[1]
Unit 2: A fire at Unit 2 resulted in its shutdown in 10/91.[2] More on safety at Chornobyl.
Unit 3: Shut down on 15 December 2000.[3]
Unit 4: destroyed in the 4/86 disaster.[4]
Sources:
[1] Ann MacLachlan, "Ukraine Shuts Chernobyl-1, Fulfilling Promise To West," Nucleonics Week, 5 December 1996, p. 14.
[2] Peter Coryn, "Ukraine: Restoration Continues at Chornobyl-2," Nucleonics Week, 4 May 1995, p. 20.
[3] "15 dekabrya v 13.15 ostanovlen reaktor tretego energobloka ChAES," UNIAN, No. 50, 11-17 December 2000.
[4] Chrystyna Lapychak, "Ukraine To Shut Down Aging Chornobyl Reactor," OMRI Daily Digest, 25 June 1996. {Updated 3/23/01 RG}
Comments: Construction was reportedly halted on a fifth and sixth unit after the 1986 accident. Units 1 and 3 were shut down in 1991 after an accident at the similar Leningrad Nuclear Power Plant (at Sosnovyy Bor) in Russia, but were restarted in December and October of 1992, respectively. The restart decision was taken against the advice of the Ukrainian State Committee for Nuclear and Radiation Safety (UkrSCNRS--Derzhkomatom). UkrSCNRS managed to secure the down-rating of Unit 1 to 80 percent of its nominal (gross) capacity of 1000 MWe. In accordance with Ukraine's vow to the G-7 to shut down the entire Chornobyl NPP and to fulfill the requirements of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in 1995, Unit 1 was shut down on 30 November 1996, leaving Unit 3 as the only unit operational until it was finally shut down on 15 December 2000.[6]
Sources:
[1] "Chornobyl Reactors Will Never Operate Again, Sherbak Says," Nucleonics Week, 5/28/92, p. 1, 7-8.
[2] William C. Potter, "The Future of Nuclear Power and Nuclear Safety in the Former Soviet Union," Nuclear News, 3/93, pp. 61-67.
[3] CISNP interview with Ukrainian nuclear official, 8/94.
[4] Chrystyna Lapychak, "Ukrainian Experts Devise Plan for Chornobyl Shutdown," OMRI Daily Digest, Vol. 1, No. 94, 5/16/95.
[5] Alex Brall, "Ukraine Proposes Schedule For Shutting Chornobyl Units," Nucleonics Week, 6/1/95, pp. 7-8. {Entered 1/17/97, MEW}
[6] Kirill Razumovskiy, "Dlya etogo atomnuyu stantsiyu nado snova otkryt," Kommersant, 14 December 2000.
{Updated 3/23/01 RG}
See also:
Chornobyl Spent Fuel and Radioactive Waste Developments
Chornobyl Shutdown and Western Aid Developments
Chornobyl Shutdown Background Report
Chornobyl NPP Safety and Contamination Developments
Chornobyl Fuel and Energy Background Report
4/5/2004: Thieves of Nuclear Plant Equipment Arrested in Ukraine
At a 5 April 2004 press-conference, Mykola Tomilovych, department head at the Rivne Oblast Prosecutor’s Office, announced that the police directorate for fighting organized crime in Kuznetsovsk arrested five men on suspicion of stealing equipment from the Rivne nuclear power plant. According to Tomilovych, four employees of the Rivne NPP bribed a security officer working at the plant’s checkpoint to pass through security and stole a piece of the plant’s equipment—the reactor’s evaporator heating chamber. [It is likely that the piece of stolen equipment, which the Ukrainian press and media identifies as "the reactor’s evaporator heating chamber" is actually the spare evaporator from the condensate treatment system of the VVER-440 reactor. The evaporator, which in the condensate treatment system is linked with the reactor coolant and can be described as a heating chamber, is relatively small and portable. Because the evaporator was a spare, it was not contaminated with radioactivity and therefore could have been stolen without exposing the thieves to harmful radiation.[4]] The perpetrators paid the security officer 400 hryvnyas ($77 as of April 2004) for the service.[1,2,3] Initial reports suggested that the bribed checkpoint worker was a warrant officer serving at a military unit guarding the Rivne NPP, but the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense later stated that the warrant officer had no relation to the military because NPPs in Ukraine are guarded by units from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.[3]
The thieves sold the stolen piece of equipment to a local scrap metal collection station for a mere 1,600 hryvnyas ($309 as of April 2004), while experts estimated its cost at 800,000 hryvnyas ($154,000 as of April 2004). The device was not in service at the time of the theft, so operations at the Rivne NPP were not affected. The four plant workers were charged under Article 185, part 5 (Large-Scale Theft) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine and Article 369 (Bribery). The security officer was charged under Article 368 (Bribe taking).[1,2]
4/2/2003: GERMAN SPECIALISTS UPGRADE FIRE SAFETY OF SOUTH UKRAINE NPP
Podrobnosti reported on 2 April 2003 that, according to Enerhoatom, specialists from the German firm Brandschutz were working at the South Ukraine NPP to improve its fire safety. German specialists will also train NPP personnel to use the new equipment. South Ukraine NPP has been using Brandschutz equipment since 1999.
2/21/2003 SOUTH UKRAINE NPP RECEIVES TACIS-FUNDED SAFETY EQUIPMENT
UNIAN reported on 21 February 2003 that the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) received instruments for automatic monitoring of water quality. The equipment is scheduled to be installed by the end of the first quarter of 2003 on Unit 3, and will be used to measure water quality in the turbine section and the steam generators. The instruments were produced by the French firm ELTA, and were provided via European Union’s TACIS program.
2/14/2003: US SPECIALISTS ASSIST ZAPORIZHZHYA NPP
From 10 to 14 February 2003, safety experts from the US firm Westinghouse studied a project to develop and implement comprehensive emergency procedures at the Zaporizhzhya NPP, whose Unit 5 has been chosen as a pilot VVER-type reactor to introduce such procedures. The procedures are to be fully implemented by the end of 2004, and will then be applied at other units of the NPP. Westinghouse experts also plan to visit other Ukrainian NPPs. Prior to their visit to Zaporizhzhya NPP, Westinghouse specialists, together with representatives of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the Argonne National Laboratory, held talks with specialists from Enerhoatom and Ukraine’s NPPs on the emergency procedures project.
2/10/2003: JAPANESE SPECIALISTS TRAIN UKRAINIAN REACTOR PERSONNEL
UNIAN reported on 10 February 2003 that a delegation of specialists from the Japan Electric Power Information Center (JEPIC) visited the South Ukraine nuclear power plant (NPP). The visit was part of a program of international cooperation on NPP safety. The Japanese experts remarked that South Ukraine NPP personnel left a positive impression, and that they intend to continue cooperation in this area. Three South Ukraine NPP specialists visited Japan in 2002 where they received instruction in NPP safety procedures.
12/5/2002: GERMAN DELEGATION CITES INADEQUATE REACTOR SAFETY EFFORTS
Interfax reported on 5 December 2002 that a German delegation of the Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety, headed by the Director General of the Department of Nuclear Safety and Radiation Protection Wolfgang Renneberg, spent three days familiarizing itself with the work on the closing of the Chornobyl NPP. According to the German experts, Ukraine is not spending enough on nuclear safety. Wolfgang Renneberg also said that if Ukraine were to perform a risk-benefit analysis of its nuclear energy program, the risks would most likely outweigh the benefits.
[“Nemetskiye eksperty polagayut, chto Ukraine sleduyet tratit bolshe sredstv na podderzhaniye yadernoy bezopasnosti,” Interfax, 5 December 2002.] {Entered 5/13/2003 MJ}
10/4/2002: QUALITY OF NPP OPERATORS QUESTIONED
Rivne vechirne reported on 4 October 2002 that over 10 employees of the Rivne NPP had false higher education diplomas that they had purchased for $500-600. The holders of false Odessa National Polyte3chnic University diplomas were employed in administrative and engineering positions at the NPP. The revelation has prompted an investigation by the oblast prosecutor's office and anti-organized crime directorate.[1] An Enerhoatom commission was dispatched to investigate. Individuals accused of purchasing university diplomas remained at their jobs, however. NPP management stated this was justified because none of the individuals in question worked in positions affecting reactor safety. According to the head of the department for public relations at Rivne NPP, Oleksiy Kiskiy, the licensing process for reactor operators is so strict that it excludes the possibility of unqualified personnel occupying such positions.[2] However, the Ukrainian nuclear power industry is experiencing a problem retaining qualified cadres. Only 40% of reactor operators are willing to remain at their jobs; 280 left Ukraine in the last three years. Enerhoatom is attempting to stem the outflow of expensively trained specialists by introducing new social programs. However, funding of these programs would require the tripling of electricity tariffs.[3]
8/15/2002: TULUB ON CONDITION OF UKRAINIAN REACTORS
Izvestiya reported on 15 August 2002 that during a visit to the city of Slavutych, Enerhoatom president Serhiy Tulub assessed the depreciation of Ukrainian power reactors' thermomechanical equipment at 56%, and electrical and control systems at 60%. Only major financial investments can improve the situation, according to the article.
8/6/2002: RIVNE, KHMELNYTSKYY NPP CONSTRUCTION ACCELERATED
Interfax Ukraine reported on 6 August 2002 that the funding rate for the construction of new reactors at Rivne and Khmelnytskiy NPPs has been doubled, from 700,000 hryvnyas (about $126,000) per day to 1.4 million hryvnyas (about $252,000) per day. The reactors are to become operational in 2004. While Enerhoatom is funding the project using its own resources, it is also planning to continue negotiations with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) concerning financial assistance for the project.[1] Enerhoatom is also ignoring the suit against the construction of the two reactors brought by Serhiy Konyukhov of the Public Committee for State Security of Ukraine, a Ukrainian non-governmental environmental organization (for more information, see the 5/25/2002 entry, below). Although a district court in Kiev agreed to consider the suit, as of 19 August 2002 Enerhoatom had not received an official notice to stop construction.[2]
5/25/2002: PROTESTS AGAINST NEW REACTOR CONSTRUCTION
The Public Committee for State Security of Ukraine has called upon Russia to refuse financial support for the construction of additional reactors at Rivne and Khmelnytskyy NPPs. The committee's message to the Russian State Duma claims such involvement is not advantageous to either country, may incur financial risks, and damage relations. Moreover, according to the committee, there are safety-related concerns over the construction of the two reactors, and the design documentation is obsolete, placing even the legality of their construction in doubt. Russia has offered assistance of up to $500 million, including $140 million in the form of credits for manufactured products, but the Ukrainian government has made it clear that it does not need Russian products worth that amount, since all necessary Russian equipment has already been purchased.[1] On 20 June 2002, protest rallies were held in Kharkiv against the signing by Ukrainian Prime Minister Anatoliy Kinakh and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov of an agreement on joint completion of the two reactors. The protesters demanded that reactor construction be halted and called on the two prime ministers to focus on modernizing already existing reactors.[2]
4/10/2002: RUSSIA TO FINANCE REACTOR CONSTRUCTION
On 10 April 2002, following talks with Ukrainian Prime Minister Anatoliy Kinakh, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov announced that Russia will loan Ukraine $45 million to finance the construction of new reactors at the Rivne and Khmelnytskyy NPPs. The loans will finance the final stages of construction and final equipment supplies.
4/9/2002: UKRAINE AND EBRD MAKE PROGRESS ON REACTOR CREDITS
Ukrainian Prime Minister Anatoliy Kinakh announced on 9 April 2002 that Ukraine and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) had made progress on the details of financing the construction of additional reactors at the Rivne and Khmelnytskiy NPPs. According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ukraine is to determine how to address the issue of electricity tariffs to ensure the project is profitable by the end of June 2002. This announcement follows the January 2002 agreement between Ukraine and the EBRD to reduce the cost of the two reactors, and to change some of the EBRD's conditions.
3/20/2002: UKRAINE PREPARED TO HIRE IGNALINA NPP WORKERS
Ukrainian Prime Minister Anatoliy Kinakh announced on 20 March 2002 that Ukraine is ready to offer specialists working at Lithuania's Ignalina NPP employment at the new reactors at Rivne and Khmelnytskiy NPPs. Kinakh made the statement following high-level talks between the governments of Ukraine and Lithuania. Ignalina NPP is to be shut down by 2009 as part of Lithuania's efforts to join the European Union. Kinakh also offered Lithuania assistance in shutting down its nuclear reactors.
11/29/2001: UKRAINE REJECTS EBRD REQUIREMENTS, LOOKS TO RUSSIA
On 29 November 2001, the government of Ukraine rejected the requirements put forth by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to grant $1.5 billion in credit for the construction of two reactors at Rivne and Khmelnytskiy NPPs. Ukraine decided to seek funding from Russia instead, and on 4 December 2001 Ukrainian Prime Minister Anatoliy Kinakh and Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov reached a preliminary agreement on a loan for Ukraine of over $200 million, beginning with $60 million in 2002. Although the total value of Russian funding is considerably less than the EBRD credit, Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma has called the original EBRD cost estimate "overblown," and said Ukrainian experts assured him the entire project could be completed for just $600 million. Kuchma also complained that whereas initially EBRD only required Ukraine to close the Chornobyl NPP as a condition for the credits, the list of demands later grew to the point that it became unacceptable to Ukraine.
7/23/2001: UKRAINE TO BUILD TWO NEW POWER REACTORS
UNIAN reported that during a meeting with US Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Richard Meserve, Ukranian Prime Minister Anatoliy Kinakh announced that Ukraine intends to construct two new power reactors. Kinakh also stressed the need for Western financial assistance for the realization of this project. Kinakh believes that this aid will ensure safety of Ukrainian atomic energy.
12/15/2000: UKRAINE SHUTS DOWN FINAL REACTOR AT CHORNOBYL, SEEKS COMPENSATION
On 15 December 2000, Unit 3, the last operating reactor at the Chornobyl nuclear power station, was officially shut down by its chief engineer in front of news cameras.[1] In a Memorandum signed in 1995, Ukraine had committed itself to shut down the Chornobyl nuclear power station no later than 2000. In exchange for the shutdown, the Memorandum promises international aid to Ukraine to finance decommissioning operations at Chornobyl and compensate for the loss in energy production.[2] Ukraine plans to replace the lost power by completing two reactors in Khmelnytskiy and Rivne, pending loans from the EBRD and Euroatom.[3] President Kuchma stressed the need for this aid and also stated that questions remain concerning the economic and social effects of the power plant closure on the residents near the Chornobyl power station.[4] For more information on loans and compensation provided by the Memorandum, see the 4/22/97, 3/18/97, 11/14/96, and 6/6/96 entries in the Chornobyl Shutdown and Western Aid Developments section.
6/26/2000: REFORMS PLANNED FOR ENERHOATOM
The government of Ukraine is planning to create a state joint stock company uniting all of its nuclear power plants. This process is part of the restructuring of Enerhoatom, which was begun in June 2000 on instructions from the Fuel and Energy Ministry to convert all energy sector enterprises into corporations. According to Enerhoatom's acting president Volodymyr Bronnykov, the government will issue a resolution on corporatizing Enerhoatom by the end of 2000. Nuclear power plants will form detached subdivisions of the new joint stock company.
6/22/2000: ENERHOATOM CHARGED WITH TAX EVASION
On 22 June 2000, Nucleonics Week reported that the government of Ukraine has brought criminal charges of tax evasion against Enerhoatom. The charges resulted from an audit by a special investigative group established within Ukraine's State Tax Administration.[1] In remarks made after President Clinton's visit to Kiev, President Leonid Kuchma blamed the crisis in Ukraine's nuclear sector on "unscrupulous officials and businessmen," including former managers of Enerhoatom, and accused them of attempting to destroy the company. Kuchma also indicated that some nuclear power plants needed to be investigated as well.[2] Experts, however, noted that Enerhoatom's tax liability is caused by flaws in Ukrainian tax legislation. While Enerhoatom is receiving payments for only a portion of delivered electricity, NPP taxes are calculated on the basis of generated power, rather than revenues from electricity sales. Adding to the controversy surrounding Enerhoatom, Deputy Prime Minister for Fuel Yulia Tymoshenko accused Peoples' Deputy Hryhoriy Surkis of saddling Enerhoatom with a $1.2 billion debt. Surkis, who has major investments in Ukrainian energy companies and reportedly has good relations with Leonid Kuchma, denies the charges.[3]
6/13/2000: CRIMEA NPP CANCELLED
The government of Ukraine decided to stop construction of the incomplete Crimea NPP, according to a statement by the Ukrainian governmental press service. Construction of Crimea NPP began in 1976 but no progress has been made since 1989. Part of the equipment used on the construction site has been moved to other NPPs.
5/16/2000: UKRAINE MAY HOLD NEW TENDER FOR RIVNE AND KHMELNYTSKYY NPP CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS
Yulia Tymoshenko, Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, told Interfax on 16 May 2000 that the government may hold a new tender for the Rivne and Khmelnytskyy NPP construction projects if the present contractor [not named in report] does not lower its price. The original tender was for the amount of $1.4 billion, however the contractor then presented a figure of $2 billion to complete the work. Tymoshenko said that if the contractor does not lower its price to the original figure, Ukraine can legally hold a new tender for the contract.
4/26/2000: ENERHOATOM VICE-PRESIDENT PAINTS BLEAK PICTURE OF NUCLEAR ENERGY INDUSTRY
In a 26 April 2000 interview in Holos Ukrayiny, Mykola Steynberg, vice-president of Enerhoatom, stated that the Ukrainian nuclear energy industry was on the verge of collapse. According to Steynberg, the biggest problem facing the industry is the lack of payment by energy customers. Enerhoatom is attempting to collect revenue by signing six-month futures contracts with Ukrainian businesses and industries. In addition, Steynberg noted that cut-backs in repairs at NPPs, a disregard for safety regulations, and the movement of skilled personnel to profitable sectors of the economy had become serious problems.
4/14/2000: ALBRIGHT REAFFIRMS US COMMITMENT TO KHARKIV INITIATIVE
During her April 2000 visit to Ukraine, US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright reaffirmed US commitment to the Kharkiv Initiative. On 14 April 2000, she highlighted several previous and ongoing programs the United States has supported in Kharkiv Oblast since the initiative began in June 1998. Programs include the provision of $18 million in aid to regional hospitals, training for local businessmen, and support for small and medium businesses. Albright emphasized that other areas of the Ukrainian economy have been positively affected by the programs. She cited the US-funded nuclear fuel diversification program, $7 million in US aid to support Ukrainian science, and support for Ukraine's membership in the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR). US Ambassador to Ukraine Stephen Pifer will coordinate further US efforts, Albright stated.
2/14/2000: ENERHOATOM HEAD FIRED AMID REPORTS OF ALLEGED CORRUPTION
Mykola Dudchencko, the head of Ukraine's state owned energy company Enerhoatom, and Enerhoatom first vice-president Tetyana Amosova were fired February 14 amid corruption allegations. Management problems at Enerhoatom are long-standing. An August 1998 report, which was recently released to the press, details several instances of mismanagement, corruption, and improper business practices. In particular, the report stated that the company's management expenses in 1998-1999 were 190 times higher than permitted. Dudchenko, who headed Enerhoatom since 1999, has been replaced by Volodymyr Bronnykov, the former director of the Zaporizhzhya NPP.
2/2000: US TO AID NUCLEAR REGULATORY ADMINISTRATION
The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and Ukraine's Nuclear Regulatory Administration (NRA) signed an agreement whereby the US will fund research on nuclear safety in Ukraine. According to NRA head Oleksandr Smyshlyayev, the NRC has embarked on a four- to five-year program to improve the effectiveness of the NRA, through the provision of consultants and financing. The NRC has already been providing the NRA with technical equipment for the past seven years. Future NRC assistance will focus on the same areas as US DOE aid: analyzing the safety of nuclear reactors (required for licensing), licensing work on alternative nuclear fuel for Ukrainian NPPs, adopting new criteria for spent fuel storage, completing a new automated reactor control system, and decreasing radiation received by NPP personnel. Smyshlyayev noted that the NRC program was flexible, so its focus might change in future. He noted that this was particularly important as the NRA did not receive sufficient funding from the Ukrainian budget: in 1999 it received only half the funds it was promised.
12/27/99: ENERHOATOM HEIGHTENS SECURITY AT ALL NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS AFTER INCIDENT AT SOUTH UKRAINE NPP
For more information, please see the 12/27/99 entry in the South Ukraine NPP Developments section.
11/26/99: KUCHMA CREATES NUCLEAR ENERGY DIRECTORATE
President Kuchma signed a decree on 26 November 1999 entitled On the State Directorate for Nuclear Energy. The Directorate is a central executive body subordinate to the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy. Its responsibilities include managing nuclear energy use, handling radioactive waste, developing and implementing state policies for the nuclear sector, and creating a domestic nuclear fuel cycle.
10/31/99: UKRAINE WILL NOT CHANGE DECISION CONCERNING WITHDRAWAL FROM BUSHEHR DEAL
Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma told reporters on 30 October 1999 that Ukraine has no plans to withdraw from its decision not to build turbines for the Bushehr NPP. "We have made a definitive decision and are not going to change it," Kuchma stated. For more information on this issue, see the 10/4/99 entry below.
10/99: UKRAINE HOPES TO TRADE RUSSIAN BLACK SEA FLEET DEBTS FOR NUCLEAR FUEL
For more information on this issue, see the entry under Fuel Cycle Developments.
10/4/99: NUCLEAR FUEL SUPPLY DIVERSIFICATION: WESTINGHOUSE
For more information on this issue, see the entry under Fuel Cycle Developments.
10/4/99: FURTHER PRESSURE ON UKRAINE TO RECONSIDER BUSHEHR TURBINE DEAL
UNIAN reported on 4 October 1999 that a source close to the presidential administration said Russia will include Ukrainian companies in Indian and Chinese NPP construction projects only if Ukraine reconsiders its decision not to build turbines for the Bushehr NPP in Iran. UNIAN's source stated that Ukrinterenerho, a state enterprise for foreign trade, will lobby the Ukrainian government and presidential administration for Ukrainian inclusion in foreign construction projects. For more information about Ukraine's withdrawal from the Bushehr deal, see the 1/31/99 entry below.
8/13/99: DRAFT AGREEMENT ON UKRAINIAN-RUSSIAN-KAZAKHSTANI JOINT VENTURE NUCLEAR FUEL PRODUCTION APPROVED
For more information on this issue, see the entry under Fuel Cycle Developments.
7/17/99: DELIVERY OF NUCLEAR FUEL FROM RUSSIA TO UKRAINE DELAYED
For more information on this issue, see the entry under Fuel Cycle Developments.
6/4/99: EBRD TO FUND CONVERSION OF UNFINISHED CRIMEAN NPP
According to Serhiy Yermilov, chariman of the KrymEnergo joint stock company , the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has agreed to fund reconstruction of the unfinished Crimean NPP (located in Shcholkino). The NPP will be turned into a natural gas-burning power plant.
4/22/99: AUDIT REVEALS UNAUTHORIZED SPENDING
On 22 April 1999, the UNIAN news agency reported that a Ukrainian Accounts Chamber audit of the Ministry of Energy and its predecessors (the Ministry of Power Engineering and Electrification and the State Committee on the Use of Atomic Energy) has uncovered misappropriations totalling 972.6 million hryvnyas (approximately $249 million). The Ministry of Energy had created six extrabudgetary funds with money earmarked for covering operating costs at domestic nuclear power plants. The Accounts Chamber also discovered violations involving the fund for creating a national nuclear fuel cycle. From 1996-1997, the fund received 647.7 million hryvnyas (approximately $165.6 million) less than records indicated it had received.
4/2/99: FORMER ICBM MANUFACTURER KHARTRON BUILDS NPP EQUIPMENT
Khartron, a former manufacturer of RS-20 [SS-18 'Satan'] and RS-18 [SS-19 'Stiletto'] ICBMs, has converted 95 percent of its production facilities to non-military purposes.[1] In 1994, together with the US company Westinghouse, Khartron created the Westron joint venture specializing in the production of control systems for Ukrainian NPPs. Westron is the first joint venture set up with the use of Nunn-Lugar funds.[2] Khartron is also supplying pressurized units for an international space station.[1]
4/99: UKRAINIAN NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS REDUCE OUTPUT AS A RESULT OF FUEL SHORTAGES
For more information on this issue, see the entry under Fuel Cycle Developments.
3/18/99: UKRAINIAN NUCLEAR POWER PLANT WORKERS POSTPONE STRIKE
Ukrainian nuclear power plant workers decided to postpone a scheduled strike over unpaid wages until the Constitutional Court reviews the current labor legislation prohibiting strikes in the nuclear power sector. The strike was planned for 22 March 1999 and was supposed to involve all employees, except those necessary to ensure stable operation of the nuclear reactors. The protest actions over unpaid wages meanwhile continue.[1] The Ukrainian government allocated 120 million hryvnyas ($30 million) to pay wage arrears; the amount will, however, be distributed between employees of both the nuclear and non-nuclear power sectors.[2]
2/18/99: PROTESTS AT NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS ESCALATE, TENT CAMPS SET UP
In February 1999, thousands of Ukrainian nuclear power plant workers launched protests demanding the payment of their wages and wage arrears. On 18 February 1999 about 700 employees from nuclear power plants picketed at the Ukrainian government headquarters in Kiev.[2] Protests developed at all five Ukrainian nuclear power plants during the following week, after a promise made by senior government officials to provide 390 million hryvnyas ($108 million) to pay delayed salaries went unfulfilled.[3] Seeing no progress, the workers held rallies and started to set up tent camps.[4] The protesters are depriving themselves of food and sleep and are prepared to launch an industry-wide hunger strike if their demands are not met.[1,3] The situation could impact safety at the power plants.[5] A conference of Enerhoatom employees recognized the validity of the workers' demands and approved the protest action. The conference also appealed to Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma to fulfill the government's agreements concerning salaries for nuclear power plant workers.[6] According to some sources, the salary debt totals 150 million hryvnyas ($42 million),[4,5,7,8] while other sources indicated 52 million hryvnyas ($15 million).[1,2]
2/8/99: EXPERTS SEE NUCLEAR ENERGY CRISIS AS NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT
Twenty-eight managers and senior experts involved in the Ukrainian nuclear field addressed an appeal to President Leonid Kuchma, Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada Oleksandr Tkachenko, and Prime Minister Valeriy Pustovoytenko, in which they stated that "the deep and many-sided crisis in nuclear energy poses a direct threat to Ukraine's national security." The appeal points out the deteriorating state of the Ukrainian nuclear industry, demonstrated by problems with the Ukrainian power grid, which poses a potential threat to safe nuclear power plant operations, and by a lack of resources for maintaining a proper level of output.
2/8/99: KUCHMA BANS BARTER ON WHOLESALE ENERGY MARKET AT UNREGULATED RATES
Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma issued a resolution effective 1 January 1999, banning barter transactions on the wholesale energy market at unregulated rates.
1/31/99: "KHARKIV INITIATIVE" NOT LIVING UP TO UKRAINIAN EXPECTATIONS
Ukraine's withdrawal from the $240 million Bushehr project in March 1998 was finalized after the United States agreed to compensate Kharkiv regional businesses and government. The "Kharkiv Initiative" began in June 1998. As part of the initiative, the United States agreed to back Ukraine's membership in the MTCR. Membership in MTCR allows Ukraine to export space launch vehicle technology.[1] However, Ukraine's satellite-launch business was set back after the crash of a Zenit rocket. Kharkiv's Governor, Oleg Demin, has said he is still waiting to see concrete results from the initiative. Turboatom, which held the Bushehr contract, has suggested other possible areas of cooperation. These include joint projects to upgrade Ukrainian NPP safety with equipment produced in both the United States and Ukraine, and a joint US-Ukrainian venture to produce turbine blades, which Ukraine currently imports from Russia. US ambassador to Ukraine Stephen Pifer offered his support, but stated that the United States cannot force US businesses to invest in any of these projects.[2] In an interview in the Ukrainian newspaper Zerkalo nedeli, US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright stated that the US Department of Commerce would publish a guide for US companies considering projects in the Kharkiv region. In addition, the United States Agency for International Development and Kharkiv Oblast are preparing a contract for the business analysis of and strategic planning for Kharkiv Oblast.[3] For more information on the progress of the "Kharkiv Initiative," see the 12/6/98entry below.
12/6/98: "KHARKIV INITIATIVE" MOVES AHEAD AFTER VISIT BY US OFFICIAL
The United States Coordinator for NIS assistance,William Taylor, visited Kharkiv on 6 December to explore further options for US investment in the region. The "Kharkiv Initiative" began as a US aid program for industries affected by Ukraine's withdrawal from the Bushehr turbine deal. For more details, see the overview Ukraine, Bushehr and the MTCR.
11/20/98: KUCHMA ORDERS INVESTIGATION OF PROFIT CONCEALMENT AND TAX EVASION
On 20 November 1998, Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma ordered an investigation of allegations that Ukrainian NPPs concealed profits from using $1.1 billion worth of nuclear fuel supplied by Russia in exchange for Ukrainian warheads. They have also been charged with failure to pay taxes on revenues generated by use of the fuel.
9/29/98: AGREEMENT ON WAGE ARREARS REACHED AFTER PROTESTS
Protests by Ukraine's nuclear power sector workers ended on 29 September, after the Ukrainian government and union leaders signed an agreement on paying wages and debts.[1] The protesters from Ukraine's five nuclear power plants were expressing anger over a several month delay in wage payments. There were approximately 3,000 workers demonstrating at the Zaporizhzhya and South Ukraine NPPs. 300 protesters gathered in Kiev at government headquarters.[2] The government agreed to use a portion of the money normally allotted for nuclear fuel purchases to pay monthly wages. In the government's new plan, overdue wages will be paid by the end of the year with the help of 29.3 million hryvnyas ($ 7.6 million) allocated specifically for this purpose and revenue from a value-added tax on the sale of nuclear electricity.[1] The workers are, however, also concerned with the loss of value of their delayed wages due to the currency devaluation.[2] The protests were carried out in spite of Ukrainian legislation prohibiting such actions.[3] Operations at the five nuclear power plants were not affected by the protests.[2]
7/21/98: US VICE-PRESIDENT AL GORE VISITS UKRAINE
In July 1998, US Vice-President Al Gore visited Ukraine on the occasion of the second Kuchma-Gore committee meeting (US-Ukraine Binational Commission). During the meeting, both sides agreed on cooperation in enhancing the safety of Ukraine's nuclear power plants and establishing a radiation and ecology research laboratory in the International Chornobyl Center for Nuclear Safety. Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma complimented US-Ukrainian cooperation on international security issues, specifically in the areas of nuclear arms nonproliferation, missile technology controls, and developing a military-political partnership. Gore, on the other hand, favorably assessed Ukraine's nuclear disarmament initiatives. [1,2] He also said that, as part of the "Kharkiv Initiative," the United States will organize a business development trip to the United States for officials in Kharkiv's power sector.[3]
6/16/98: UNITED STATES AND UKRAINE BEGIN "KHARKIV INITIATIVE"
Representatives from several US government departments and agencies, along with US Ambassador to Ukraine Stephen Pifer, arrived in Kharkiv to discuss investment options in the region. The group planned to address the the negative economic consequences of Ukraine's decision not to participate in supplying turbines to the Bushehr NPP in Iran. Ukraine has lost $260 million and Turboatom, the company which held the contract, is reported to have lost $5 million.[1] The Kharkiv Oblast association of businessmen and entrepreneurs, Hranit, believes that thousands of jobs were lost, and has asked President Leonid Kuchma to reconsider the decision.[2] For more information, see the 3/6/98 entry below.
3/6/98: UKRAINE WITHDRAWS FROM PLAN TO SUPPLY TURBINES TO BUSHEHR NPP
After a meeting with US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Hennadiy Udovenko announced that Ukraine had cancelled Turboatom's plans to supply two turbines to the Bushehr NPP in Iran. For more information see the overview Ukraine, Bushehr, and the MTCR.
4/97: UKRAINE WARNS AGAINST JOINT FUEL PRODUCTION VENTURE WITH RUSSIA AND KAZAKHSTAN
For more information on this issue, see the entry under Fuel Cycle Developments.
11/1/96: NUCLEAR POWER ENERGY TO BE SOLD ONLY THROUGH REGIONAL ENERGY SYSTEMS
Ukrainian Prime Minister Pavel Lazarenko met with the directors and chief engineers of nuclear power plants to discuss the sale of nuclear power. Lazarenko said that electricity generated by Ukrainian nuclear power plants would only be sold through regional, not private, companies.
10/26/96: MINISTRY OF ATOMIC ENERGY CREATED
The Ukrainian National Security and Defense Council approved the creation of a Ministry of Atomic Energy which would oversee all nuclear issues, with an emphasis on safety standards. The new Ministry will possess greater authority than that of the State Committee for the Use of Nuclear Energy.
10/18/96: DIFFICULTIES IN ENERGY SYSTEM
According to the Ministry of Power and Electrification, Ukraine's energy system could collapse at any time. Emergency shutdown of generating unit No.1 at Khmelnytskyy nuclear power station and reductions in capacity at Chornobyl, Rivne and South Ukrainian nuclear power stations have caused Ukraine to operate its electricity engineering system at frequencies between 49.01 and 49.2 Hz.
10/8/96: BELARUS PLAN FOR ARMY FIRING EXERCISE IN CHORNOBYL ZONE IS BEING STRONGLY CRITICIZED BY UKRAINIAN SCIENTISTS
During his trip to the Chornobyl contaminated Gomel region, Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenko proposed a large-scale army excercise with field firing to be conducted in the depopulated zone. According to 'Segodnya', Defence Ministries staff had already worked out the plan of excercise, triggering a great deal of criticism from Ukrainian scientific circles. According to Vasil Nesterenko, director of the Institute of Radiation Safety, "such an ill-considered experiment may cause a disaster by spreading radioactivity to areas that have not been affected yet".
9/19/96: NUCLEAR ENERGY CHAIRMAN COMMENTS ON NUCLEAR ENERGY SECTOR
Viktor Chebrov, Chairman of the Ukrainian State Committee for the Use of Nuclear Energy, said that as of 9/96, the nuclear power sector produced nearly 45% of Ukraine's total electric power output, but in early 1996 had been paid for just over half of the nuclear power produced--3 percent in cash and 50 percent in services. Chebrov said that while approximately 8,500 nuclear specialists emigrated to Russia in 1993-1994 due to economic difficulties, the situation has stabilized. As for future plans, Chebrov said that the Russian company TVEL had won a tender to create a complete nuclear fuel cycle in Ukraine.
7/28/96: NEW CORPORATION FORMED TO SELL NUCLEAR-GENERATED ELECTRICITY
A new corporation, UkrEnerhoAtom, has been established in Ukraine to sell electricity produced by Ukrainian nuclear power plants. According to an anonymous source at the Chornobyl press center, power sales will be conducted on a territorial level, directly with consumers. However, it is still unclear in what way the energy market shares for each of the five Ukrainian nuclear power plants will be stipulated. According to Chornobyl plant manager Serhiy Parashyn, who is one of the founders of UkrEnerhoAtom, the decision to create the enterprise was made by a council of directors from each of the five nuclear power plants. However, the new corporation will not be involved in the plants' operations and thus will have no responsibility for the reactors' operational safety. It is expected that Ukrainian nuclear power plants will be able to sell electric power directly to customers with payments remitted to the corporate account of the new corporation, thus avoiding the intermediate services of the Energy Ministry, which currently sells all types of power. None of the corporation's business activities will be carried out independently; all of these activities will be capitalized solely by the plants. The president of UkrEnerhoAtom will be elected by the corporation's Board of Directors. It was decided that the corporate headquarters will be located in Enerhodar (Zaporizhzhya NPP) and that the new company's charter will be completed at the second meeting of the Board in 9/96.
7/1/96: 30 WORKERS GO ON HUNGER STRIKE AT CHORNOBYL
According to Ukrainian State Committee on the Use of Atomic Energy (Derzhkomatom) spokesman Leonid Kostiuk, 30 workers of the Chornobyl construction department went on a hunger strike demanding payment of several months of back wages. Other employees of the Chornobyl construction department have been on strike since 6/15/95. The main cause of the difficult financial situation at Chornobyl is that consumers are not paying for electricity. In addition, the plant's employees have been paid almost nothing from the state budget allocations for Chornobyl because the plant's management had to cover repair and maintenance expenses first. The total number of participants of both hunger and regular strikes is 129.
7/1/96: LOWER RATES BUT IMMEDIATE PAYMENT
The Ukrainian government decided to allow Ukrainian power plants to sell electricity at slightly lower rates to those customers who pay for it in full immediately rather than purchasing it on credit. Ukrainian customers and enterprises owe more than $700 million in electricity bills to Ukrainian nuclear power plants.
7/96: EUROPEAN COMPANIES OFFER TO HELP FINISH 3 VVER REACTORS
Three European companies, Electricite de France (EDF), Tractabel of Belgium, and IVO of Finland have indicated their willingness to participate in the completion of three unfinished VVER-type reactors--Khmelnytskyy-2, Rivne-2, and Zaporizhzhya-6.
5/25/96: GREENPEACE ON TAZHLYTSKA NPP PROJECT
The Mykolaiv "Greenpeace" association sent an appeal to Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma regarding his plans to go ahead with the Tazhlytska NPP project. (Further information on this project is not available at this time.) The appeal points out that, according to expert analysis, the project is harmful both from the point of view of the environment, and the economy.
5/24/96: ONLY $20 MILLION OF $86 MILLION RECEIVED
According to Minister of the Environment Yuriy Kostenko, of $86 million planned for safety maintenance through the winter period of 1996, nuclear power plants have received only $20 million. This, plus the non-payment of $180 million in wages to nuclear plant employees, has created a situation where many nuclear power plants cannot carry out repair work.
5/15/96: UKRAINE ADOPTS NATIONAL ENERGY PLAN THROUGH 2010. WILL IT WORK?
The Verkhovna Rada approved "Ukraine's National Energy Program Through 2010." The program emphasizes independence for Ukraine in the area of electricity, to be achieved through the restructuring of the electricity sector, construction of thermal power plants, and development of the nuclear energy sector. The program envisages that in 2010 50% of Ukraine's electricity will be produced by thermal power plants, 40% by nuclear power plants, and 10% by alternative sources, Oleksandr Kozhuchko, Chairman of the Rada Commission on the Fuel-Energy Complex, told INTERFAX. In the first three months of 1996, nuclear power plants produced 46% of electricity in Ukraine, an increase in comparison with the corresponding figure of 38% in 1995. Thermal power plants produced less than 50% of electricity in the first three months of 1996. The national Energy Program also envisages the development of coal and gas industries. The Rada instructed the Cabinet of Ministers to work out measures aimed at the realization of the Program, and to make additions and corrections to the National Energy Program as necessary, depending on the changes in the socio-economic situation in Ukraine.
4/15/96: COULD UKRAINIAN GOVERNMENT STOP BRAIN-DRAIN?
According to Nur Nihmatullin, head of Derzhkomatom, the nuclear industry in Ukraine is one of the three best paid sectors, along with banking and oil. Top industry officials in Ukraine now earn monthly salaries of about $500--about seven times the average wage. In the initial days after the collapse of the Soviet Union, hundreds of nuclear specialists fled from Ukraine to Russia, attracted by salaries four times higher. After the 1990 moratorium on the construction of nuclear power stations in Ukraine was scrapped in 1993, Derzhkomatom persuaded the government to raise salaries. Nuclear industry officials now see themselves as a vehicle for saving the national economy and view with deep suspicion Western criticism of their Soviet-era technology.
4-6/96: ENERHOATOM TO BE SET UP
According to a draft submitted by President Leonid Kuchma, a national generating company called Enerhoatom will be set up based on Ukraine's nuclear power plants. The basic proposal originated in Derzhkomatom, which says that the reform will be completed by 12/96. Enerhoatom is expected to supervise nuclear power stations and sales of nuclear electricity, handle fuel purchases, improve the safety culture at NPPs, and organize training and NPP staff. The board of the new company will be composed of Ukrainian NPP managers. Mykhailo Umanets, former Chairman of Derzhkomatom and a major proponent of providing more freedom in the nuclear sector, is acting as a consultant on the planned changes.
4/27/96:UKRAINIAN-CHINESE COOPERATION ON THE PEACEFUL USE OF ATOMIC ENERGY
In Beijing, a representative of the Ukrainian State Committee on the Use of Atomic Energy (Derzhkomatom) and a representative of the People's Republic of China signed an agreement on cooperation in the peaceful use of atomic energy. The Agreement foresees cooperation in the mining and milling of uranium ore, scientific research and design work for VVER reactors, work on the construction of nuclear power plants and safety at these plants.
4/1/96: UKRAINE HAS NOT RECEIVED ANY NUCLEAR FUEL RODS FROM RUSSIA
For more information on this issue, see the entry under Fuel Cycle Developments.
3/16/96: NPPS PROVIDE 45% OF UKRAINE'S ELECTRICITY
According to the Commission of Nuclear Policy and Environmental Safety, in 3/96 Ukraine's nuclear power plants in were producing 45% of the electricity in Ukraine.
3/12/96: UKRAINE REDUCED SUPPLIES OF POWER FOR 7000 FACTORIES
Ukraine was forced to cut off or substantially reduce supplies of power for 7000 of the 40,000 factories which have not paid their energy bills. Outstanding bills reportedly total approximately $980 million.
3/96: UKRAINIAN REACTORS' LOAD FACTORS THROUGH 3/96
According to a Western study, none of the 15 power reactors in Ukraine has achieved an annual load factor of over 80%, but five of them achieved an annual load factor of over 70%. Ukraine's average annual load factor for power units was 59% by the end of 3/96. The country's RBMK reactors had an average load factor of 66.9% over the past 12 months and the average lifetime load factor at these reactors was 63.1%. In the case of Ukrainian VVER-1000 reactors, the annual load factor was 62.6% and the lifetime load factor totaled 63.0%.
2/21/96: KUCHMA PROPOSES JOINT COMMISSION WITH GORE
During a meeting at the US White House, Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma proposed that the United States and Ukraine create a joint commission on energy to be chaired by Kuchma and US Vice President Al Gore. Kuchma also invited Gore to visit Kiev on the tenth anniversary of the Chornobyl disaster and requested that the Chornobyl issue be raised at the 4/19-20/96 summit of G-7 leaders in Moscow.
2/12/96: RUSSIA REMOVES UKRAINE FROM JOINT POWER GRID FOR THE SECOND TIME
Russia removed Ukraine from their joint power grid for the second time in two months after it noted a surge in demand that the grid could not handle. The frequency of the current in Ukraine's power grid dropped from 49.5 to 49.23 Hz. Russian Energy Ministry spokeswoman Oksana Liven said that it was unlikely that Ukraine would be reconnected in the near future. The cut-off has forced a number of factories to close and Kiev is considering temporarily closing major industrial sites to prevent the collapse of the entire system. According to the Ukrainian National Dispatchers Center, the drop in Ukrainian power output that prompted the cut-off was caused by a coal-miners strike and an emergency shutdown of Unit 2 at the South Ukraine NPP.
1/96: NUCLEAR POWER CONTINUES TO THRIVE IN UKRAINE
Ukraine's nuclear power plants produced 50% of Ukraine's electricity in 1/96.
1/31/96: UKRAINIAN NPPs WILL BE EQUIPPED WITH AUTOMATED CONTROL SYSTEMS
The State Committee for the Use of Atomic Energy confirmed that Ukrainian NPPs will be equipped with automated control systems (ASTUP) developed at Khartron in Kharkiv. The first ASTUP will be set up at the beginning of 1997. In 1998, the system will be installed at South Ukraine 1 and Khmelnytskyy 1. In 1999, it will be installed in South Ukraine 2 and 3. By 2002, ASTUP should be installed on almost every Ukrainian reactor. The "Eastern Economist" reports that this system was created by a Westinghouse (United States)-Khartron joint venture. Westinghouse reportedly invested $200 million in the project, a figure matched by the US Department of Energy. This source also reports that the first ASTUP will be installed at Zaporizhzhya 1.
1/25/96: ZAGRANATOMENERGOSTROY WILL BUILD TURBINES FOR BUSHEHR PLANT
Kharkiv's Turboatom plant is expected to sign a production contract in the first quarter of 1996 with Moscow's ZagranAtomEnergoStroy to build two turbines for the Iranian nuclear power plant in Bushehr. Original construction was started in the early 1980s by the Moscow firm and Siemens, but was halted due to an international embargo against the sale and development of nuclear technology in Iran.
1/24/96: SHORTCOMINGS IN NUCLEAR POWER INDUSTRY SHOULD BE ELIMINATED
A plenary meeting of the central committee of the trade unions of nuclear power workers recommended that the State Committee for the Use of Atomic Energy, the central committee of trade unions, and the sector's trade union committees should eliminate shortcomings in the industry and improve conditions and work safety at nuclear enterprises.
1/18/96: 23% OF ELECTRIC ENERGY WILL BE SOLD DIRECTLY TO CONSUMERS
According to According to the Deputy Minister of Energy Valentiyn Bondarenko, due to the Ministry of Energy's inability to pay the power industry on time, the Cabinet of Ministers has allowed NPPs to sell 23% of electric energy directly to consumers.
1/16/96: UKRAINE'S NPPs COULD MEET 20% OF NECESSARY STANDARDS
Nur Nihmatullin, the first deputy chairman of Derzhkomatom, reported that the allocations in the state budget for nuclear safety are such that Ukraine's NPPs are only able to meet 20% of necessary standards. In 1996, the sector will have to contend with the fact that 70% of the equipment at nuclear power plants is obsolete and four units will need to be halted for renovations which the sector cannot presently fund. Derzhkomatom plans to increase addressed sales of electric power as part of an effort to form a market for electricity in Ukraine.
1995: UKRAINE PROVIDES MORE ELECTRICITY BUT NUMBER OF EMERGENCIES IS LARGE
Reportedly, Ukrainian NPPs provided 2.4% more electricity in 1995 than in 1994 which accounted for 36.7% of the total energy output for the entire year. (NUCNET NEWS reported that NPPs provided 34.2% of Ukraine's electricity in 1994.) NUCLEAR ENGINEERING INTERNATIONAL reported that in the winter of 1995 NPPs provided 40% of Ukraine's electricity. The planned supply of electricity from NPPs for 1995 was 34.3% and nuclear power's installed capacity share is only 26.2% in Ukraine. The average load factor, according to NUCNET NEWS, was 61.8%. In addition, electricity production by Ukraine's nuclear power plants in 1995 was only 92% of that in 1990. There were 85 emergencies in 1995; one of these emergencies was at Chornobyl and rated a level three (it was only reported in 3/96), ten were rated as level 1 and the rest were level 0 on the INES scale.
1995: ELECTRICITY GENERATION INCREASED BY 2.5%
According to Derzhkomatom officials, there was a 2.5% increase in electricity generation in 1995. However, consumer debt totaling $54 million is preventing Ukraine from purchasing enough nuclear fuel from Russia to keep its stations operational. The industry also does not have enough money to replace outmoded equipment at Ukrainian NPPs.
12/20/95: UKRAINIAN-CANADIAN NUCLEAR COOPERATION AGREEMENT
Ukraine and Canada signed a nuclear co-operation agreement which allows for bilateral trade of nuclear material and equipment to help Ukraine with its energy needs.
12/20/95: WILL UKRAINE'S NUCLEAR INDUSTRY BE PRIVATIZED?
It was reported that a proposal to privatize Ukraine's nuclear power industry has been discussed in Derzhkomatom. Mikhailo Umanets warned that a stabilization fund must be set up before the NPPs can be transferred to the private sector. The ex-director of the Zaporizhzhya NPP, Volodymyr Bronnikov, was against the idea of privatizing the nuclear power industry.
12/18/95: UKRAINE'S POWER GRID RECONNECTED TO RUSSIAN
It was reported that Ukraine's power grid was reconnected to the Russian power grid, raising the frequency of current in Ukraine's grid to 49.6-49.7 Hz.
12/14/95: UKRAINE COULD REDUCE OVERALL POWER CONSUMPTION BY 5-10%
The Global Energy Saving Strategy for Ukraine, under the auspices of TACIS, estimated potential energy saving in Ukraine at 26% of present demand. It predicted that with almost zero costs, Ukraine could reduce overall power consumption by 5-10% within two years. Greenpeace presented a report in late 10/95 which showed that energy consumption between 1990-94 dropped by 30.8%. This report claims that only 55.2% of the country's electricity generating capacity is actually being utilized.
12/5/95: RUSSIA DISCONNECTS UKRAINE FROM JOINT POWER GRID
Russia disconnected Ukraine from a joint power grid for using too much power. Oleksandr Voyevoda, an engineer at the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy, said the surge in Ukrainian consumption was due to the shutdown of a Zaporizhzhya reactor (see 12/5/95 in Zaporizhzhya Comments) and hoped that Russia would bring Ukraine back on line when Zaporizhzhya reactors 4 and 5 are repaired. After being disconnected, the frequency of the current in Ukraine's power grid dropped from 49.6 to 49.2-49.3 Hz. When the current is this low the situation is referred to as critical because the stability of the current is in jeopardy.
11/95: NPPs SUPPLY 37% OF TOTAL ELECTRICITY GENERATION
In the first 11 months of 1995, NPPs reportedly supplied 37% of Ukraine’s electricity.
10-11/95: UKRAINE PLANS TO EXPAND NUCLEAR INFRASTRUCTURE
Mikhailo Umanets reported at an international nuclear power symposium that by the year 2000 Ukraine plans to expand the nuclear infrastructure in Ukraine from 34.2% to 40% of domestic electrical power by commissioning Zaporizhzhya-6, Rivne-4, and Khmelnytskyy -2 and 4.
10/25/95: $225 MILLION WERE ALLOCATED TO UKRAINE
The US Foreign Operations, Export Financing, and Related Programs Appropriations Act (H.R. 1868) allocated $225 million to Ukraine. $50 million is for improving safety of nuclear reactors and improving energy self-sufficiency. $2 million is for an energy distribution study.
9/12/95: ELECTRICITY FROM UKRAINIAN NUCLEAR POWER STATIONS IS SAID TO BE 20% CHEAPER THAN
