Tariffs "For the Construction" Of the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant Will Definitely Be Increased, but it Is Unlikely to Be Completed

The main thing to understand about the project to "complete" the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant is that it will be implemented with money from the increase in tariffs for the population and business. It is worth noting that the previous increase will not be enough and the tariff for Ukrainians will be increased again in the summer. It turns out that this is somehow too expensive, given the fact that there is no deficit of nuclear energy in the country, there is a deficit of maneuverable energy, to which nuclear power plants have nothing to do. Therefore, it turns out that it is too expensive for a project whose goal is simply to "master the money", with a high probability of not launching anything into operation.

In addition, it is worth saying that the story around the "completion" of the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant is a good plot for an adventure novel. After all, this story also includes a forgery of a document, when another bill, previously passed the first reading, is rewritten, 100% changing its content, and then all the politicians pretend that it was like that in the first reading. There is also a political leader in this story, namely a minister who calls on people's deputies live on air to falsify a document that has just been forged, because even a new name can cause negativity among partner countries. And of course, in this story around the "completion" of the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant, you can also find the mysterious authors of the project, who after two years of negotiations cannot clearly name a single figure regarding the completion of the construction. Moreover, for good reason, it is worth emphasizing the fact that these figures do not exist in nature.

The voting is disrupted for the first time due to an enemy air strike. In addition, it is worth noting that the equipment itself is also made in the enemy's country. You should understand that sometimes, such things happen!

It is also worth saying that for the sake of intrigue, the project finds itself in the intricacies of the interests of the president's friends, the work of the intelligence services of the Russian Federation and the United States of America, Bulgaria. In addition, this project also finds itself among the intrigues of the position of the European Union, the stability of the ruling coalition in parliament, and so on, and so forth. Oh yeah, we forgot to mention the most important thing, namely that incomplete equipment is being purchased that no one on planet Earth needs.

In addition, it is worth saying that against this background, a real drama is unfolding of ordinary workers from the Supervisory Board of the State Enterprise "National Atomic Energy Generating Company Energoatom", who want to pretend that they work eight hours a week, not for ten thousand dollars, but at least for twenty.

How do you like this topic?! There is enough material for a novel, a play, and a script!

So, we can safely congratulate the lobbyists of the State Enterprise "National Atomic Energy Generating Company Energoatom" on the result on the parliamentary board: 269 votes "to support the bill", with a minimum of 226 votes.

In principle, it would be possible to do without such parties in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine as the All-Ukrainian Union "Batkivshchyna" and the odious popular party "Opposition Platform - For Life". However, considering the fact that until recently there were about a hundred votes of people's deputies missing, the organizers decided to play it safe. It is worth saying that they did not miscalculate with this decision. In general, it should be noted that over the past month, the initiators have shown unprecedented flexibility and adaptability.

In addition, it should be said that if in the summer and autumn there were attempts to push through "everything at once", then this year the political leaders decided to solve the problem in parts, postponing the most interesting and difficult part, on which too many different kinds of resources will have to be spent, for later.

Now the completion of the construction itself – and it is important to say that it involves billions of dollars and a huge list of missing equipment – ​​has been postponed until the summer. Thus, all these procedures were postponed until the time when members of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine prepare a new draft law on the completion of the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant, which should finally provide an updated feasibility study and the funniest thing, namely "information on the sources of financing for the entire project." It must be said that in this way we get a situation where the project will not be completed with the help of one increase in tariffs for the population, so that political leaders are already going to, so to speak, put our country's industry under a serious "blow" and thus cause it a lot of damage. This was done so that everyone would take part.  

The story that the first unit of the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant is almost ready and will be built in 2.5-3 years is the plot of the classic tale about the padishah and the donkey. It is worth noting that during the years of construction of the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant, someone will definitely die, and the promised deadlines will be forgotten.

 According to the version of the project that promises to become the basis (with alterations), the construction of the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant should take 60 months. That is, the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant is planned to be built in five years, and it is worth mentioning that this calculation was made in the absence of bombings, relocations or physical destruction of subcontractors, a shortage of qualified personnel, construction companies, etc. In addition, it is worth mentioning that the fact that the reactors are Russian excludes the possibility of obtaining spare parts and components from the manufacturer. This problem can be solved, but for much more money and time. It should also be said that ordering non-standard equipment from a third party is a very time-consuming and expensive scenario.

In general, it should be said that in the 21st century, in the European Union and the United States of America, for example, not a single unit was built in less than 12 years. Right now, our neighbors (in Poland, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria) are going to build new units and it is worth noting that the cycle from the start of work to the commissioning of a nuclear power plant is set at least ten years everywhere.

However, it is worth remembering that the political leaders on Bankova Street have their own vision of the world. Their world is warm, cozy and everything is calm and good there. In it, according to the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, those who want at least some justification and calculations for the most expensive construction in Ukraine are those “for whom cheap energy in Ukraine is simply unprofitable. In addition, according to our President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, they fill their pockets or the pockets of those they depend on with more expensive energy than nuclear energy.”

What scoundrels they are! The irony is that even Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy does not know how much the promised cheap energy will cost, but the population will definitely end up with a twofold increase in tariffs. In addition, it should be noted that under the current administration, implementing various laws, initiatives, and making decisions about activities, in our country, there are also extremely high risks of construction failure. As for theft and filling pockets with money, this is also out of the question, because the oligarchic factions voted "to support the bill" together with friends of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Oleksandrovych Zelenskyy. It is also worth noting that the head of the energy committee of the Ukrainian parliament, Andrii Herus, who is no stranger to the industry, having ensured the implementation of the project in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, for some reason did not vote for it himself. The same as the permanent leader of the All-Ukrainian Union "Batkivshchyna", although her faction unanimously voted "to support the bill". In addition, it is important to say that, in fact, the many-month tragic farce of pushing the project through the Ukrainian parliament is a consequence of the sober understanding of the organizers that in the extremely likely failure of the project, an indulgence from the Ukrainian parliament would be very useful.

Especially since this question is potentially about the loss of hundreds of billions of hryvnias. Which, at least until the 2030s, are guaranteed not to go to more relevant projects (including in the State Enterprise "National Atomic Energy Generating Company Energoatom").

It is worth remembering that we used to be told fables and various incredible stories about external financing. But the two-year contacts about providing loans in American and European banks turned out to be simply nothing. An attempt to pretend that the project wants to be financed by the European Union turned into quite a public scandal for our country. In addition, it should be noted that the representatives of the European Union have twice emphasized that they have no such plans. Also, suddenly, loans, even when received, have a bad habit of being included in the tariff. It is worth noting that precisely in the world, for financing and payback, long and complex payback schemes are structured. Right now, officials in Poland, the Czech Republic and Sofia are busy with it. It's funny, but it's worth saying that it is precisely in the Bulgarian financing scheme that part of the money for their first new rector at the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Station in Bulgaria (and this is at least 7-8 billion dollars) will be paid by us. But it is not yet clear how much we will pay. In addition, it should be said that the Bulgarians wanted from 600 million to a billion euros, and the parliamentarians included the minimum amount in their terms of negotiations. Unlike them, our country turned out to be extremely rich and prosperous, because we do not have an upper limit on expenditures in the state treasury. And because of the readiness of our political leaders to allocate money for expensive projects, interesting and "delicious" things can happen for the immediate participants.

However, it is worth noting that our country cannot overpay at all. The fact is that after the increase in tariffs for the population, about 27-28 billion UAH were found in the financial storage of the State Enterprise "National Atomic Energy Generating Company Energoatom". It is curious that representatives of the State Enterprise "Energoatom" did not want to spend this money on its own mega-project, literally denied the existence of this money. But in January of this year, after not finding other sources and looking in the pocket of the autumn jacket, I found it.

The stories of the Minister of Energy of Ukraine Herman Halushchenko that if you don't buy reactors now, you won't buy them later are just fairy tales that don't mean anything and are not relevant. It is worth saying that in this story we are an absolutely exclusive buyer. The second scenario does not exist and is not foreseen. It is also important to note that not long ago, the State Enterprise "National Atomic Energy Generating Company" Energoatom and its head, Ukrainian nuclear engineer Mr. Petr Kotin, wanted to buy only one reactor for Unit No. 3. Its readiness is about 30–40%, which gives chances for adjustment, however, not with the current organization of processes. But the political leaders of Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, insisted that we either buy two reactors or none, and we did buy both.

In addition, it should be said that the Bulgarians had their own scandals and worries. The fact is that pro-Russian parties objected to the sale of reactors. The point is not that they are not afraid of the completion of these reactors in Ukraine. Everything is simpler, namely the fact that with the money received from us they will buy an American reactor there, which Moscow is not very happy about. On the other hand, it is now clear why both Westinghouse and the American embassy in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, actively support Bulgaria's plan to get rid of Russian illiquid goods.

After all, it is worth noting that unlike us, the Bulgarians, who are planning to build a new nuclear power plant, are working out all the details. Thus, in November, they concluded a contract with Westinghouse, according to which he would develop a conceptual project for adapting and connecting his reactors within a year. In addition, it should be said that by the end of this year, the technical and economic parameters of the construction of two new AR-1000 reactors, their price and the cost of the electricity produced by them will be clear. It is important to say the fact that the value of this contract is 350–370 million dollars. It is worth emphasizing the fact that this is 550 (!) times more than what we are going to pay for the correction of the feasibility study.

Of course, why overpay, if the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that energy will be cheap, what else is needed?

And there you can come up with and draw a lot of different numbers. Anyway, there is someone to analyze them. It is worth noting that some people are even paid for this. In general, it should be mentioned that this story showed the complete paralysis of the control system in Ukraine, because it turned out that, taking into account a bunch of controlling authorities, it was possible to create a fraudulent scam that political leaders were obliged to stop at the start. Why do we need risk assessments if there is a strong demand from the right people and an understanding of how to make money on it. And a little more positivity, because it is worth remembering that in January, after seven months of delays, the supervisory board of the State Enterprise "National Atomic Energy Generating Company Energoatom" began working. The thing was that its independent members were offered little money. It should be noted that the State Enterprise "National Atomic Energy Generating Company Energoatom" promised the equivalent of $ 10 thousand per month, but the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine tried to reduce the amount of money. They did not agree. Moreover, having looked around and realized what kind of story they were trying to get involved in, they said that even ten thousand dollars a month would not be enough, and they needed a "market rate". In addition, it is worth saying that according to slanderous rumors, the Joint Stock Company "National Joint Stock Company "Naftogaz of Ukraine" was taken as the basis of the market – where they pay twice as much. And what is characteristic is that they did achieve what they wanted in this matter. To tell the truth, it must also be said that one of the three independent members, who had been involved in nuclear energy in Britain all his life, having studied the situation, thought that reputation was still more important, and left. But the other two "independent members" remained. The chairman was the Lithuanian Jarek Neverovich ... He once said that "the main problem of Ukraine is the embezzlement of state money and resources.

Thus, the first thing to do is to stop corruption and start reforming the country, while simultaneously establishing ties with investors." What beautiful, strong words! How long has it been... Well, it should be noted that according to the provisions of the Supervisory Council, its members must devote at least 20% of their working time to work in it. This is about 8–10 hours a week. It is necessary to emphasize the fact that these hours of work are enough to ensure "transparency, openness and reliability of state institutions", there may even be time left to fight "blatant embezzlement of state money". Let's look at the result.

In order to finish on a very positive note, let's remember that what is happening does not carry any nuclear risks. It is necessary to say that with such "organization" of the process, the probability of completing the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant is zero. Thus, there are no risks.

Read this article in Ukrainian and russian.