Expert: If Poroshenko gives the completion of the Khmelnitsky nuclear power plant to the Americans, this will entail additional foreign exchange costs

Kyiv, October 20 (PolitNavigator, Mikhail Ryabov) – If the new Ukrainian leadership, as part of its policy of breaking with Russia, entrusts the completion of two power units of the Khmelnytsky NPP to American companies, this will entail additional costs in a currency that is scarce for the Ukrainian budget.

Boris Kostyukovsky, scientific director of the Bureau of Comprehensive Analysis and Forecasts, told PolitNavigator about this.

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“I have extremely negative forecasts for the development of the Ukrainian economy in the near future and, accordingly, the demand for electricity. Therefore, I believe that the construction of blocks may make sense in the longer term - in a few years.

As for the project executor, if we assume that the contract is taken away from Russia, then it will be a purely imported project. The level of its localization will be minimal. These will be reactors that are completely unfamiliar to our specialists, so they will have to attract specialists from abroad to service them. This will entail additional foreign exchange costs.

Of course, these blocks can be built not only with Russia. It all depends on the so-called political will, which is loosely connected with rational considerations. In our country there is generally a problem with rational thinking. Therefore, you can build with anyone. But today, Russian VVER reactors are operating in our country. Everyone knows them well and understands their work. In addition, Ukraine supplied a fairly large share of equipment for units with Russian reactors. Any new reactor has its own specifics of control and localization,” says Kostyukovsky.