Ukraine's Energoatom working on deal to purchase reactor vessels from Bulgaria for Khmelnytsky NPP using loan – Vice President
Ukraine's state-owned nuclear energy company, Energoatom, is in the process of finalizing an agreement to purchase reactor vessels from Bulgaria for the completion of Units 3 and 4 at the Khmelnytsky Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). The company plans to secure loan financing for this acquisition, Vice President Hartmut Jakob announced.
"We are working on signing the agreement for the purchase of equipment from Bulgaria for Khmelnytsky NPP Units 3 and 4. Once we have results, we will provide an update. We are considering loan financing for this purchase and do not plan to use depreciation funds, as those are allocated for other purposes," Jakob stated during a meeting of the parliamentary working group reviewing Energoatom's financial and economic activities. The session was streamed live on the Facebook page of Oleksiy Kucherenko, First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada's Energy Committee.
When asked by Kucherenko whether the company's Supervisory Board had approved the purchase, Jakob responded that "investment thresholds for procurement in 2025-2026 have been approved."
According to Ukraine's law "On the Acquisition of Equipment Necessary for the Construction of Units 3 and 4 of the Khmelnytsky NPP" (No. 4231-IX, adopted on February 11, 2025), Energoatom is authorized to sign a contract with Bulgaria's state-owned National Electric Company EAD (Natsionalna Elektricheska Kompania EAD) for the purchase of equipment, including nuclear reactor vessels, components, and other related hardware required for the future construction of the power units.
Additionally, the law grants Energoatom the authority to conduct negotiations, finalize the contract, sign the agreement, arrange payments as per contractual terms, and manage the reception and storage of the purchased equipment. However, the law does not disclose the cost of the equipment from Bulgaria.
Regarding the future construction of Khmelnytsky NPP Units 3 and 4, Ukraine's Cabinet of Ministers has been tasked with submitting a draft law to Parliament on the site selection, design, and construction of the units, as well as updating the technical and economic feasibility study.
The law explicitly states that Energoatom is prohibited from undertaking any construction-related work or signing contracts for site selection, design, or construction of Units 3 and 4 until the relevant legislation comes into force.