The South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant (Ukrainian: Південноукраїнська АЕС), also known as the Pivdennoukrainsk Nuclear Power Plant, is a nuclear power plant in Ukraine, near the city of Pivdennoukrainsk in Mykolaiv Oblast, about 350 kilometres (220 mi) south of Kyiv. It is the second largest of the country's five nuclear power stations. It is part of the South Ukrainian Energy Complex, along with the Tashlyk Pumped-Storage Power Plant and Oleksandrivska hydroelectric power station.
| South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Official name | Південноукраїнська АЕС |
| Country | Ukraine |
| Location | Pivdennoukrainsk, Mykolaiv Oblast |
| Coordinates | 47°49′0″N 31°13′0″E / 47.81667°N 31.21667°E |
| Status | Operational |
| Construction began | Unit 1: 1 August 1976 Unit 2: 1 July 1981 Unit 3: 1 November 1984 |
| Commission date | Unit 1: 2 December 1983 Unit 2: 6 April 1985 Unit 3: 29 December 1989 |
| Owner | Energoatom |
| Operator | Energoatom |
| Nuclear power station | |
| Reactor type | PWR |
| Reactor supplier | Atomstroyexport |
| Cooling source | Tashlytske Reservoir |
| Thermal capacity | 3 × 3000 MWth |
| Power generation | |
| Units operational | 3 × 950 MW |
| Make and model | VVER-1000/302 VVER-1000/338 VVER-1000/320 |
| Nameplate capacity | 2850 MW |
| Capacity factor | 65.56% |
| Annual net output | 16,367 GW·h (2016) |
| External links | |
| Website | sunpp.mk.ua[dead link] |
| Commons | Related media on Commons |
It has three VVER-1000 pressurized water reactors and a net generation capacity of 2,850 megawatts (MW). In 2013, following major upgrade work, unit 1 was given a 10-year license extension, which will take it beyond its original 30-year design lifetime. Similar extensions are planned for units 2 and 3, licensed until 2015 and 2019, respectively.[1]
The 750 kV Vetrino–Isaccea–Yuzhnoukrainsk powerline runs from the plant to Isaccea, Romania, but is mostly dismantled or ruined.[citation needed]
History
editSince 1992, it has been guarded by the 4th NPP Protection Battalion.
The main supplier of fuel for nuclear power plants in Ukraine has been TVEL, with whom NNEGC signed a contract for the supply of nuclear fuel for Ukrainian WMR in 1997 until 2010.
Under a US-Ukrainian initiative to reduce Ukraine's dependency on Russia for fuel, tied to the dismantling of its nuclear weapon arsenal, Energoatom had been using reactor core of unit 3 to test nuclear fuel produced by Westinghouse Electric Company in Västerås in Sweden, mixed with Russian assemblies. In August 2005, it was loaded with the first six experimental fuel assemblies produced by Westinghouse together with Russian fuel for a period of pilot operation. The pilot runs were "deemed unsuccessful, with Energoatom claiming manufacturing defects in the fuel led to a lengthy unscheduled outage at two of the units, while Westinghouse said that errors had been made during fuel loading".[2]
Nevertheless, in 2008, Energoatom signed a fuel supply contract with Westinghouse to supply 630 nuclear fuel assemblies to its three reactors starting in 2011. Westinghouse shipped a reload batch of 42 fuel assemblies for the 3 units in mid-2009 to last for three years of commercial operation. In June 2010, Energoatom signed a long-term fuel supply contract with Russia's TVEL for its nuclear reactor fleet. Earlier, Rosatom had offered a substantial discount to Ukraine if it signed up with TVEL for 20 years.[citation needed] During trial use of Westinghouse manufactured fuel in 2012, the fuel became deformed and caused serious damage to the reactor.[3] On 11 April 2014, after the Russian annexation of Crimea, the fuel contract with Westinghouse was extended through 2020. The fuel will be made at the fuel fabrication facility in Västerås.[2]
According to Ukraine, Russian troops were advancing to the plant in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, but were repelled in the March 2022 Battle of Voznesensk.[4] On 19 September 2022, the power plant was reportedly hit by Russian artillery. A missile exploded about 300 metres from the reactors, blowing out windows in the buildings and damaging a neighbouring hydroelectric power station. Nuclear reactors were not damaged.[5][6]
On May 8, 2024, preparatory work began at the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant for the construction of two new power units, No. 4 and No. 5, using the American AP1000 technology by Westinghouse.[7][8][9]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "Life extension for South Ukraine unit 1". World Nuclear News. 10 December 2013. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
- ^ a b "More Westinghouse fuel for Ukraine". World Nuclear News. 11 April 2014. Retrieved 16 April 2014.
- ^ "Westinghouse to continue fuel deliveries to Ukraine". Nuclear Engineering International. 3 April 2017. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
- ^ Roschyna, Olena (16 March 2022). Терористи не пройшли: Котін розповів, як росіян відкинули від Південноукраїнської АЕС [Terrorists haven't passed: Kotin told how the Russians were rejected from the South Ukrainian NPP]. Ukrainska Pravda (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 22 September 2022.
- ^ Harding, Luke (19 September 2022). "Russia no longer has full control of Luhansk region after Ukraine captures village". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 September 2022.
- ^ Santora, Marc (19 September 2022). "Strike Near Another Ukrainian Nuclear Plant Escalates Fears of Disaster". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
- ^ "Фахівці Енергоатома вивчають проєкт АР1000 у Сполучених Штатах Америки" [Experts from Energoatom are studying the AR1000 project in the United States.]. energoatom.com.ua. 9 July 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
- ^ "Енергоатом змінив плани щодо Південноукраїнської АЕС: збудує два блоки" [Energoatom has changed its plans for the South-Ukrainian Nuclear Power Plant: will build two Westinghouse reactors.]. Newssky.com.ua (in Ukrainian). 8 May 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
- ^ Kasyan, Vira (8 May 2024). "Енергоатом змінив плани щодо Південноукраїнської АЕС: збудує два блоки Westinghouse" [Energoatom has revised its plans for the South-Ukrainian Nuclear Power Plant: it will construct two Westinghouse reactors.]. LIGA (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 17 July 2024.
External links
edit
- Archived official website in English.
- Profile on Nuclear Safety site