Ukraine’s parliament voted on Tuesday to support a draft bill allowing Kyiv to purchase two Russian-made reactors from Bulgaria for the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant. The bill was approved with 261 votes in favor, as announced by Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak.
Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko welcomed the decision, stating that it will enable the completion of the plant’s third and fourth power units. He emphasized that Energoatom, Ukraine’s state-owned nuclear utility, will acquire the VVER-1000 reactors, with all project implementation handled by Ukrainian and American companies.
According to the Energy Ministry, construction on the third unit is 80% complete, while the fourth is at 25%, with both expected to contribute an additional 2.2 gigawatts to Ukraine’s energy grid.
The Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant, located near Netishyn, currently operates two reactors and is one of three nuclear plants under Kyiv’s control. Bulgaria’s parliament had previously approved negotiations in July 2023 to sell the reactors, which were originally meant for the abandoned Belene Nuclear Power Plant project.
