US nuclear company Westinghouse Electric Company and Ukrainian state-owned nuclear company Energoatom have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the development and deployment of the AP300 small modular reactor (SMR) in Ukraine.
The agreement, signed on Tuesday (12 September), establishes a joint working group to collaborate on areas such as contracting, licensing and the local supply chain.
Small modular reactors are very promising for Ukraine, especially in terms of implementation of the national Energy Strategy until 2050, emphasised Ukraine’s Energy Minister German Galushchenko. “Ukraine has every prospect of becoming one of the leaders in clean energy and increasing nuclear generation capacity both through the construction of new large power units and deployment of small modular reactors with first units expected within the next ten years,” he said.
Energoatom’s President Petro Kotin said that increasing the total capacity of nuclear generation is vital for Ukraine, which is why the construction of new power units has become part of Ukraine’s 2050 Energy Strategy.
In May, Westinghouse launched the AP300 small modular reactor, a 300-MWe single-loop pressurised water reactor that is the only SMR based on an “nth-of-a-kind” operating reactor, the proven and licensed AP1000 technology.
“Westinghouse is pleased to support the Ukrainian people and Energoatom with clean, reliable and secure energy,” said Westinghouse’s President and CEO Patrick Fragman. “From nuclear fuel to plant services to electricity generation, Westinghouse is honoured to be a trusted partner for Ukraine today and for decades to come. The AP300 SMR is the only SMR being developed which fully leverages the design, licensing pedigree, supply chain and exceptional record of the AP1000 design already in operation in five plants around the world, and another seven units at different stages of construction and commission.”
Westinghouse is targeting design certification for the AP300 SMR by 2027 and for construction to begin by 2030. The first operating unit is planned to be available in the early 2030s. Energoatom and Westinghouse have already agreed to deploy nine AP1000 units in Ukraine.
