South Ukraine NPP to spend ₴50 million to upgrade its security system

The South Ukraine nuclear power plant. Photo: Facebook / South Ukrainian Energy Complex

The South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant plans to reconstruct its security systems for 50 million hryvnias.

This is evidenced by data in the ProZorro public procurement system, according to NikVesti.

The contractor will have to complete all work by 12 December 2025. It is a replacement of a complete switchgear (6kV), which ensures the normal operation of the plant's facilities. This equipment is necessary for the stable and safe operation of the nuclear power plant, as it is responsible for the uninterrupted power supply of important systems.

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The tender process is currently underway and the contractor will be selected after 30 April. The bidding was announced by «with the specifics», which means a tight deadline.

South Ukraine NPP during the war

The South Ukrainian Nuclear Power Plant had previously signed a 2.2 billion hryvnias agreement with a local company to build engineering protection.

This was preceded by statements from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) about Russian drones flying near the South Ukraine nuclear power plant. Since the beginning of December alone, 17 Russian attack drones have flown just three kilometres from the South Ukraine NPP.

Back on 16 July 2024, equipment failed at one of the NPP's power facilities, resulting in an increase in the system's energy deficit, as reported by «Ukrenergo».

After that, social media began to spread information that one of the power units had been shut down after the accident at the plant.

When asked whether a power facility had indeed broken down at the plant, the South Ukraine NPP told NikVesti that, according to the laws of Ukraine «On the Legal Regime of Martial Law» of 26.03.2022, they could not provide an official comment on the situation. However, the nuclear experts assured that the energy complex is operating normally.

At the same time, the director of the Energy Research Centre, Oleksandr Kharchenko, said that three current transformers had burned down at the South Ukraine NPP in three days. Later, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also confirmed the failure of equipment at the South Ukrainian NPP.

On the night of 16 July, the reactors of the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) were out of service for almost half a day due to the breakdown of two high-voltage transformers. This information was confirmed to NV by sources in the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine.

Nuclear terror. How did Russia shell the South Ukraine NPP?

On the night of 19 September 2022, the Russian army shelled the industrial zone of the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant. The «Iskander» missile fell 300 metres from the reactors.

The shockwave damaged the NPP buildings and broke more than 100 windows. As a result, one of the hydroelectric units at Oleksandrivska HPP, which is part of the South Ukraine Energy Complex, was shut down. Three high-voltage power lines were also disconnected.

Earlier, in August 2022, the Russians attacked the town of Voznesensk, located near the South Ukraine NPP. The missile debris was found in the observation area of the plant, so it is possible that the missile was aimed at the South Ukrainian NPP, as reported by «Energoatom».

«The very fact of shelling the observation area of the South Ukraine NPP is another cynical act of nuclear terrorism by Russia», they said.

Following these events, it became known that a mission of experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would visit the South Ukraine NPP next week at Ukraine's request, according to the agency's Director General Rafael Grossi.

At the same time, law enforcement officers have begun detaining traitors who helped the Russians in their plans to occupy the South Ukraine NPP. In particular, the Security Service of Ukraine detained suspects of leaking data on the defence of the nuclear power plant on 10 April and 26 June 2023.

It is also known that on 29 April 2022, the SSU captured three Russian military personnel from a group that planned to seize the South Ukrainian NPP. They were hiding in abandoned buildings near Voznesensk. The special service also managed to detain a former assistant of the terrorist Zakharchenko.