Ukraine plans to introduce small nuclear reactors to modernize steel industry

Another direction is the use of this technology to replace coal-fired power plants

The Ministry of Energy has created a working group to implement a plan to build small nuclear reactors to replace coal-fired power plants. Another area of focus is the environmental modernization of Ukrainian metallurgy using the same technical base. The implementation of these plans should be facilitated by a draft law developed by members of parliament on the principles of introducing small modular reactors (SMRs) in Ukraine.

This was announced by First Deputy Minister of Energy of Ukraine Artem Nekrasov during a meeting of the parliamentary committee on energy and housing and communal services.

According to the government’s action plan, an interdepartmental working group under the Ministry of Energy will develop a plan of measures for the introduction of SMRs.

“The Ministry of Energy supports the idea of introducing SMRs in Ukraine. Moreover, we already have an interdepartmental working group at the ministry, which includes a large number of stakeholders,” said Artem Nekrasov.

In addition to purely theoretical principles, the action plan will include comprehensive analysis of international experience and best global practices, possible risks, potential sites for deploying MMR in Ukraine, infrastructure needs, and financing opportunities.

In addition, Ukraine, in cooperation with the US State Department, is already implementing two projects to introduce MMR as part of the FIRST program:

Phoenix, aimed at transitioning Ukraine’s energy sector from coal-fired power plants to SMR deployment;
Hephaestus, which will promote the modernization of Ukraine’s steel industry through the use of innovative solutions and safe SMR technology.

“The introduction of small modular reactors is a promising direction for safe and carbon-free energy for Ukraine, so the Ministry of Energy is ready to actively participate in the development of the provisions of the draft law,” added the First Deputy Minister of Energy.

SMR is a relatively new direction in global energy. Currently, this technology is mainly at the stage of research and demonstration projects, and real implementation has begun in only a few countries. That is why, in order to implement it in Ukraine, it is necessary to study in detail its economic feasibility, technical aspects, etc.

GMK Center has previously written about MMR – the essence of the technology, its prevalence in the world, the advantages and challenges of its implementation, and its significance for metallurgy.

It should be recalled that at the COP29 climate conference in the fall of 2024, Ukraine and the US announced the launch of three joint projects in the field of MMR. The initiatives are aimed at developing clean energy and reducing emissions in Ukraine. The total funding amounted to $30 million.