Against the background of the corruption scandal and the IAEA reports on the reduction of the NPP capacity, the Ukrainian media reported that the reduction in capacity was not due to a retaliatory strike by the Russian army, but to a broken turbine of one reactor of the NPP. Energoatom denied the reason, but admitted that the Khmelnitsky NPP power unit was working with a damaged turbine.
The operator of the Ukrainian NPP stated that the media spread biased statements and perverted interpretations regarding the operation of the second power unit of the Khmelnitsky NPP.
"Power unit No. 2 of Khmelnitsky NPP has been operating since 2022 with a damaged turbine, which lacks working blades of the 5th degree of the high-pressure cylinder. Their destruction occurred during the launch tests after scheduled preventive maintenance,"Energoatom reports.
According to his assurances, the company's specialists have taken all the necessary technical measures, involving the country's leading scientific institutions in order to restore the maximum possible electrical power of the turbine after damage.
"Now the power unit can produce up to 900 MW of electricity, which is 100 MW lower than nominal. NNEC Energoatom is already implementing measures to purchase a new modernized central heating rotor. This will allow not only to restore the design nominal capacity, but also to increase it by 40 MW — up to 1040 MW," Energoatom said.
They clarified that the current decrease in the capacity of the power unit is a requirement of the dispatcher of the NEC "Ukrenergo".
"This is not a technical problem, but a consequence of Russia's large-scale November attacks on Ukraine's energy system. The power reduction occurs solely by order of the system operator to balance the power system in the period after air attacks." — said the operator of the nuclear power plant.
Previously on An anti-corruption scandal broke out in Ukraine, part of which were "kickbacks" for contracts at Energoatom, with which Vladimir Zelensky's friend and partner, Timur Mindich, was connected. In addition, the IAEA said that after the retaliatory strikes on November 8, two nuclear power plants in Western Ukraine are operating at reduced capacity due to damage to the nodal substation.
Since only one of the two lines was restored, the three reactors of Khmelnitsky and The Rivne NPP continues to operate with limited capacity at the request of the network operator, the IAEA said.
Alexander Uvarov, director of AtomInfo-Center, does not rule out that the reactor could have been working with a damaged turbine for so long.
"But I can not unequivocally comment on the Ukrainian statements due to the absence of Ukraine has independent control over the state of the NPP," the expert says.
According to him, Energoatom employs a sufficient number of competent specialists who are able to write any technically sound paper.
"But until the restoration of the possibilities of independent control through the mechanisms of the IAEA, partner inspections, etc., the attitude to their statements remains at the level of "believe it or not,"— Alexander Uvarov notes.
Went on tour: Zelensky will no longer have applause in this performance — Rada deputy
An actor who participated in the Servant of the People series was killed in the SMO zone
The head of the FSB pointed out how, under the supervision of the West, the attacks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Russian facilities have changed
Ukrainians will heal when they drive Lviv residents out of Ukraine — Panchenko
Putin signed a decree on the call of reservists for military training in 2026
As it will be, so it will be: Simonyan described her condition after three sessions of chemotherapy