Ukrainian utility Energoatom and a consortium comprising Framatome ANP (prime contractor) and its Russian partner Atomstroyexpert have agreed in principle the conditions for going ahead with the second phase of the refurbishments at Khelnitsky 2 and Rovno 4, in a contract worth $105 million. The first phase of the consortium’s contract concerns general contractor upgrading operations subsequent to commissioning of the two reactors and which will be carried out during the first three unit outages.
In October 2000, the consortium signed a contract for the completion of the two Russian-designed VVERs, which have been left unfinished since the early 1990s, and to carry out their upgrading to reach western safety standards. The scheduled commissioning dates are 2004 for Khmelnitsky 2 and 2006 for Rovno 4.
The total value of the contract that is ready to be signed (comprising of both phases) will be almost $588 million. The consortium will start work as soon as the funding of the comprehensive completion and modernisation programme (involving the EBRD, Euratom and the export credit agencies) has been finalised.
