Ukraine needs to increase nuclear power capacity to overcome problems with electricity generation, US official says.

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Ukraine needs to improve its nuclear power capacity to solve the problems with electricity generation caused by Russian attacks, Penny Pritzker, U.S. special representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery, said during her visit to Kyiv, NV reported on July 30. In recent months, Russia has intensified its attacks against Ukraine's critical infrastructure in a renewed assault against the country's energy grid. Following a wave of mass Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure, the Energy Ministry has estimated the damage to the country's power grid at more than £1 billion, according to Minister Herman Halushchenko.

In the long run, the Ukrainian government will decide how to generate electricity on its own, but building up nuclear power is a rational quick solution, Pritzker said. Pritzker added that Ukraine's partners, including the U.S., are currently making every effort to help Ukraine overcome the shortage of electricity generation after Russian missile attacks. The Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Europe's largest nuclear power station, has been under Russian occupation since March 2022.

In April, Energoatom started building reactor units 5 and 6 at the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant using U.S. technology that would help prevent power outages in case of Russian attacks. After the reactor units 5 and 6 are built and units 3 and 4 are put into operation, the Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant's power generating capacity will exceed the one of the Zaporizhzhia plant, according to Energoatom. In total, there are three nuclear power plants on Ukrainian-held territory.

The Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant operates two 1000 MW units, the South Ukrainian Nuclear Power Plant has three 1000 MW units, and the Rivne Nuclear Power Plant has two 1000 MW and 420 MW units each. Due to dwindling energy supplies caused by Russian attacks, Ukraine's largest privately-owned energy provider, DTEK, has warned that Ukrainians may only have electricity for 6-7 hours per day in the upcoming winter. In a "worst-case" scenario in which Ukraine is unable to repair damaged energy facilities and prevent future attacks, Ukrainians could experience up to 20 hours of blackouts a day, DTEK Executive Director Dmytro Sakharuk told the Kyiv Independent in an interview in June.

Nearly 5,000 workers evacuated from Russian-occupied nuclear power plant in Zaporizhzhia, minister says

Around 5,000 workers were rescued from the Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko said on July 19 during a press conference.