Ministry of Energy: WENRA supports Ukraine’s aspirations to develop nuclear power generation and build new nuclear power units

Minister of Energy of Ukraine German Galushchenko discussed urgent energy security issues in the field of nuclear energy with representatives of the Western European Nuclear Regulators Association, WENRA: Mark Foy, Chief Executive and Chief Nuclear Inspector of the United Kingdom’s Office for Nuclear Regulation, and Petteri Tiippana, Director General of the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority.

The head of the Ministry of Energy noted that it was only thanks to nuclear power that Ukraine managed to avoid a total blackout after massive shelling of energy facilities by russia this spring and summer.

“Our power system has withstood unprecedented massive shelling by a terrorist country, and I simply cannot imagine how we would have survived without nuclear power in these conditions. That is why further development of the nuclear industry is strategically important,” emphasised German Galushchenko.

WENRA representatives agreed that nuclear power was a very effective means of increasing Ukraine’s energy independence. They supported the Government’s desire to complete KhNPP Units 3 and 4 and to strengthen the power system with additional nuclear capacities.

At the same time, they expressed their readiness to facilitate and assist, drawing on existing experience, primarily that of the United States, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, which have had experience in halting the construction of nuclear power plants and resuming it after a certain period.

The partners also agreed to deepen cooperation in the field of energy security and pledged assistance in providing modern equipment for Ukrainian NPPs and transferring the latest technologies to the Ukrainian nuclear industry.

WENRA is a leading organisation that develops common standards for nuclear and radiation safety in the EU and its candidate countries and has 19 member states, 10 observer countries and 3 associate members. Ukraine became a full member of WENRA in 2015.