Ukraine's Energoatom stops considering purchase of VVER-1000 reactors from Bulgaria

MOSCOW. Feb 9 (Interfax) - Ukraine's Energoatom has stopped considering the possible use of Russian-made VVER-1000 reactors it was planning to buy from Bulgaria to complete construction of the third and fourth reactor units of the Khmelnitsky Nuclear Power Plant, Energoatom CEO Pavel Kovtonyuk said, as reported by Ukrainian media.

"We are not considering the project of finalizing construction of the Khmelnitsky NPP units with Bulgaria. Instead, we are eyeing the use of our Ukrainian project of the Khmelnitsky NPP unit No. 2, when a technical assignment will be given to a European manufacturer so that it makes the equipment for us," the media quoted Kovtonyuk as saying at a press briefing at a Ukrainian nuclear power plant.

As reported the Ukrainian Energy Ministry, then headed by German Galushchenko, who was later charged in the case of corruption in the energy sector, was actively lobbying the purchase of equipment made by a Russian technology from Bulgaria for two units of the Khmelnitsky NPP. That triggered a broad public response.

Bulgaria suspended talks on selling the reactors for political reasons.