Energoatom and Holtec International agreed on the construction of up to 20 nuclear power units with SMR-160 reactors in Ukraine.

This was reported in ” Energoatom ” itself, the Industrial Portal reports .

On Friday, April 21, 2023, Petro Kotin, president of Energoatom State Enterprise, and Dr. Chris Singh, president and CEO of the American company Holtec International, signed an agreement on cooperation in the deployment of small modular reactors (SRM).

Petro Kotin signed the contract in Kyiv, and Chris Singh – in Camden, New Jersey, USA. The ceremony was also attended by the Minister of Energy of Ukraine Herman Galushchenko and the vice president of Holtec International for activities in Ukraine Riaz Avan.

“Construction of MMR in Ukraine will not only contribute to the strengthening of the country’s energy security, but will also provide an opportunity to replace the thermal power facilities destroyed by Russian attacks and achieve the goals of decarbonization.

Ukraine has significant personnel potential for the development of leading nuclear technologies and will make maximum efforts, in particular in cooperation with American partners, to displace the Russian nuclear industry from the world market. MMR is a powerful technology that will also allow us to decentralize generation,” said Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko.

The agreement provides for the construction of up to 20 SMR-160 reactors, with the implementation of the first pilot project and exit to the minimum regulated power of the reactor and connection to the grid by March 2029. The introduction of small modular reactors will also help in the replacement of thermal power facilities destroyed as a result of Russian aggression.

“The agreement with Holtec International is based on 20 years of successful cooperation between the companies. It will make it possible to introduce promising, safe, clean, reliable and efficient technologies of small modular reactors and make Ukraine a leading country in the world in the field of clean energy,” said Petro Kotin, president of Energoatom.

The document also envisages deepening cooperation between companies aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s energy security. In addition, the agreement will contribute to the overall decarbonization of the Ukrainian energy sector, strengthening of Ukraine’s energy independence, and will initiate high-tech production of parts for MMR on our territory.

The mentioned projects require powerful investments in the domestic energy industry in general and nuclear energy in particular. For their implementation and better coordination of actions, a Joint Project Office will be created, which will be staffed not only by representatives of Energoatom and Holtec International, but also by the State Atomic Energy Regulatory Commission, the National Nuclear Research and Development Center of Ukraine, the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine, and world-renowned companies Mitsubishi, Hyundai, and others.

“Holtec International has a special honor and privilege to sign a Cooperation Agreement with Energoatom regarding the deployment of our advanced SMR-160 nuclear reactors in Ukraine. We are grateful to the Honorable Minister of Energy Galushchenko and the Honorable President of Energoatom, who represent the Government of Ukraine, for restoring your country’s trust in our company by choosing our extremely safe SMR-160 reactors and Holtec International as a partner to meet the country’s clean energy needs.

We will stand side by side with you to build and commission 20 SMR-160 reactors in record time. We are committed to helping the Ukrainian people rebuild their energy infrastructure once the Russian aggressors are driven out of the country,” Dr. Chris Singh said at the signing ceremony.

SMR-160 reactors

The SMR-160 is a 160 MW pressurized light water reactor that uses low-enriched uranium as fuel and has the flexibility to produce process heat for industrial applications and hydrogen production.

(C)NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL PORTAL 2023