Ukraine’s Ministry of Energy has called a meeting of the Working Group on the development of a Draft Action Plan (Roadmap) for the deployment of small modular reactor (SMR) technologies. In addition to experts from the Ministry and industry enterprises, the Working Group includes representatives of central executive authorities, the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, and other relevant organisations and institutions.
During the meeting, the structure of the planned Roadmap was presented, and the sections, positions, and questions from enterprises, energy sector organisations, and the scientific community were discussed. First Deputy Minister of Energy Artem Nekrasov noted that the Roadmap development is coordinated with legislative initiatives currently under consideration in the Verkhovna Rada:
“The draft law on SMR deployment, which has already been submitted to the Parliament, establishes the legal framework for attracting private investments and streamlining the design and construction procedures,” he said. “In combination with our Roadmap, this document will become a practical instrument for implementing Ukraine’s energy strategy through 2050.”
Nekrasov emphasised that the Roadmap will define a step-by-step sequence for SMR deployment and ensure coordinated actions among government authorities, the scientific community, and industry. The Roadmap will serve as a foundation for attracting investors, donors, and technology partners, and will establish mechanisms for public engagement at future reactor sites.
“We must create a strategic yet realistic document that will serve as the foundation for a new stage in the development of Ukraine’s energy sector,” he concluded.
He stressed that the development of the Roadmap is part of the Government’s priority actions for 2025, aimed at establishing the institutional and technical framework for the implementation of Ukraine’s first SMR projects.
“We have already begun preparations for SMR deployment through cooperation with the US Department of State under the FIRST programme. The Phoenix and Hephaestus projects are being implemented to evaluate the potential for siting SMRs at decommissioned thermal power plant sites, industrial zones, and to assess their potential use for modernising metallurgy and other energy-intensive industries.”
The parliamentary Committee on Energy, Housing & Communal recently presented draft Amendments to Certain Laws … Regarding the Principles of Implementing Small Modular Reactors in Ukraine. The hearing was attended by nuclear utility Energoatom and regulators as well as representatives from the UK, USA, France and the European Union.
Anatoliy Kostyukh, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Nuclear Energy and Nuclear Safety, presented the bill and said it would create a legal framework for implementation of SMR projects, help attract private investment, ensure the restoration of energy infrastructure, reduce dependence on gas and coal imports and strengthen Ukraine’s integration into the EU energy market.
In July Energoatom and Holtec International signed a document outlining the current cooperation and outlining their intention to implement joint projects to create a plant in Ukraine for the production of components for Holtec SMRs, 20 of which may be slated for operation in Ukraine.
