Talks with Bulgaria on equipment for Khmelnytsky NPP units 3 and 4 still ongoing amid its initiative to raise agreement price

Negotiations on concluding an agreement on the purchase of equipment for the completion of Khmelnytsky Nuclear Power Plant unites No. 3 and 4 in Bulgaria are still ongoing, in particular, due to the initiative of the Bulgarian side to increase the purchase price, MP Andriy Zhupanyn said, referring to the dialogue with the management of Energoatom during a business trip of members of the Verkhovna Rada Energy Committee to Khmelnytsky Nuclear Power Plant last week.

"Regarding the issue of what is happening now. Negotiations are still underway with the Bulgarian side. The Bulgarians have not yet signed the agreement, and one of the reasons is supposedly that the Bulgarians have decided to reconsider the price. And as we were told [Energoatom representatives during a trip to Khmelnytsky Nuclear Power Plant], the Bulgarian side is coming out with an offer of almost $700 million, although our side insists on $600 million," Zhupanyn said on his YouTube channel in the Energy Everyday Life program on April 12.

According to him, Energoatom also informed the MPs that it is asking the Bulgarian side to postpone the payment, since it does not need all the equipment at once, but needs it in parts.

As Zhupanyn summarized, the final amount of the agreement and the possibility of its postponement are still not agreed upon.

For his part, after a briefing at the Ministry of Energy on April 9, Energoatom CEO Petro Kotin, in a comment to Energoreform, noted that discussions on the terms of the purchase with the Bulgarian side are currently ongoing, including the issue of financing, equipment delivery, and other aspects.

"The Bulgarian side, in turn, is holding consultations with the government and parliament. As soon as all the details are agreed and the necessary procedures are completed, we will proceed to sign the final agreement," Kotin said.

When asked by Energoreform what the current price of the equipment purchase is, the company's CEO replied: "The Bulgarian side conducts a revaluation of this equipment every year. Their parliament has outlined an amount that cannot be less than $600 million. Our position is simple: we propose that this equipment be evaluated by an independent auditor who is among the four largest and best. This will ensure maximum transparency and objectivity."

He also said Sense Bank, with which Energoatom agreed on cooperation on March 26 in organizing financing for the purchase of equipment for the Bulgarian Belene NPP, is continuing to work on creating a banking consortium to attract other banks to provide the entire amount of financing for the purchase.

The Energoatom CEO also said that the company, for its part, is creating an association of Ukrainian enterprises that will be technically interested in the development of nuclear power units.

"This will be the infrastructure that will supply us with Ukrainian-made equipment," Kotin said.

As reported, in accordance with the Law of Ukraine On the acquisition of equipment necessary for the construction of power units No. 3 and No. 4 of the Khmelnytsky Nuclear Power Plant No.4231-IX of February 11, 2025, Energoatom is granted permission to conclude an agreement with the state-owned energy company of the Republic of Bulgaria "National Electricity Company EAD," the subject of which will be the acquisition of equipment (nuclear reactor vessels, components for them, other related equipment) necessary for the future construction of power units No. 3 and No. 4 of Khmelnytsky NPP.