Energoatom: Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant operates with a damaged turbine
Хмельницька АЕС/Фото з відкритих джерел
Since 2022, the Khmelnitsky Nuclear Power Plant has been operating with a damaged turbine, and the power unit has been generating electricity 100 MW below its nominal capacity.
This is stated in a statement by NNEGC Energoatom regarding the interpretations circulated in the media regarding the operation of the second power unit of the Khmelnitsky Nuclear Power Plant.
“Unit 2 of the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant has been operating since 2022 with a damaged turbine, which is missing the working blades of the fifth stage of the high-pressure cylinder (HPC). The failure occurred during start-up tests following a scheduled maintenance,” Energoatom reported.
It is noted that the power unit can currently produce up to 900 MW of electricity, which is 100 MW below the nominal capacity.
The company promised to purchase a new, modernized HPC rotor. This will not only restore the design rated capacity but also increase it by 40 MW, to 1040 MW.
The current reduction in the power unit’s capacity is also explained – this is a requirement of the dispatcher of NEC “Ukrenergo”.
“This is not a technical issue, but a consequence of the large-scale Russian attacks on Ukraine’s power grid in November. The power reduction is being carried out solely by order of the system operator to balance the power grid in the aftermath of the air strikes,” Energoatom reported.