Energoatom brings 8th of 9 nuclear power units in govt-controlled territory back online – ex-energy minister
On October 17, JSC Energoatom brought a nuclear power unit back online following scheduled maintenance, former Energy Minister Olha Buslavets reported on Facebook on the evening of October 17.
"Today, after a six-day delay from the planned schedule, a nuclear power unit was reconnected to the grid following repairs. Overall, this has clearly improved the situation in the power system," she wrote.
According to Buslavets, eight nuclear power units located in government-controlled territory are currently in operation within Ukraine's power system. One more unit remains under maintenance, which is expected to be completed later this month.
As previously reported citing the former minister, the delay in restarting one of the nuclear units after scheduled maintenance may have been one of the reasons behind the sharp spike in prices on Ukraine's spot electricity market earlier this week.
At present, Energoatom operates nine power units at the Pivdennoukrainska (South Ukraine), Rivne, and Khmelnytsky nuclear power plants, with a total capacity of 7,880 MW, all located in government-controlled territory.
The Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Plant, which has six VVER-1000 units with a combined capacity of 6,000 MW, has not generated electricity since September 11, 2022, following its occupation on March 3–4, 2022.
