Ukraine did not receive Bulgaria’s refusal to sell reactors for Khmelnytskyi NPP - Halushchenko
The issue of purchasing nuclear reactors from Bulgaria for the Khmelnytskyi NPP remains open - Ukraine has not yet received an official refusal to sell.
This was announced by the Minister of Energy during a meeting of the Verkhovna Rada, Censor.NET reports citing "EP".
"In fact, the issue is not closed, we have no official refusal from Bulgaria to continue negotiations. The negotiation process has now intensified," he said.
According to the minister, the negotiation process has now intensified. The previous pause in the talks was due to the political situation in Bulgaria. The Ukrainian government is currently looking for ways to unblock this energy project.
It is about the purchase of equipment for the additional construction of KhNPP power units 3 and 4, which is strategic for strengthening Ukraine's energy independence.
Purchase of Russian-made power units for KhNPP
In January 2025, the Verkhovna Rada Committee on Energy, Housing and Utilities completely changed the text of draft law No. 11392, which was adopted in the first reading, to allow "Energoatom" to buy Russian-made reactors from Bulgaria to complete the third and fourth power units at Khmelnytskyi NPP.
The Committee cancelled the text of draft law No. 11392, which was adopted in the first reading and provided for amendments to a number of laws on the functioning of the electricity market, and replaced it with a completely different text before the second reading, which allows the purchase of reactors.
This refers to the purchase of VVER-1000 power units manufactured by "Rosatom" for the "Belene" NPP in Bulgaria. In 2012, Bulgaria cancelled the construction of the plant. In July 2023, the Bulgarian parliament ordered negotiations with Ukraine on the sale of Russian-made VVER-1000 reactors for more than €600 million.
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Khmelnytskyi NPP is located in the city of Netishyn, Khmelnytskyi region. Khmelnytskyi NPP has two VVER-1000 power units with a total capacity of 2000 MW (commissioned in 1987 and 2004).
KhNPP has two partially constructed power units for the VVER-1000 reactor. KhNPP Unit 3 is 80% complete, Unit 4 is 25% complete.
On 11 February, the Parliament supported the purchase of two reactors for the Khmelnytskyi NPP.
Bulgarian government says it will not sell reactors to Ukraine for Khmelnytskyi NPP
