Ukraine’s nuclear regulator has said Unit 1 of the South Ukraine nuclear power station can operate safely for a further 10 years, bringing its lifetime to 50 years.
The State Nuclear Regulatory Inspectorate of Ukraine (SNRIU) said in a statement that the results of an examination of nuclear and radiation safety confirmed the possibility of further long-term operation at the plant, in southern Ukraine about 350 km south of Kyiv, to December 2033. The existing licence was scheduled to expire this December.
Petro Kotin, president of state nuclear operator Energoatom, said in a statement: “The uniqueness of this event is that, for the first time in Ukraine, all the necessary procedures and examinations to obtain the appropriate conclusion were carried out under Western standards and without a longtime shutdown of the power unit.”