Ukrainian nuclear power plant operator Energoatom and the country's transmission system operator Ukrenergo completed tests last week at unit 1 of the Zaporozhe nuclear power plant for the provision of ancillary frequency maintenance reserve services at +/-20 MW. The tests should confirm the compliance of the unit with the requirements of the Transmission System Code in order to obtain a certificate entitling Energoatom to introduce the power unit to the ancillary services market.

Ancillary services may be purchased or used for a day, week, month, quarter or years. To provide ancillary services a market participant should be registered by the transmission system operator as a supplier.

Energoatom said this was "a crucial stage" of Ukraine's preparations to integrate its grid with the transmission system of continental Europe.

"Upon processing the test results, the conformity assessment body will make a technical report regarding the unit’s capacity to provide ancillary services," Energoatom said today. "The next stage is obtaining a certificate for ZNPP unit 1 and putting it on the register of ancillary service providers, following which Energoatom will be able to enter the ancillary services market," it added.

Similar tests were carried out at unit 2 last month.

In a separate statement, Energoatom said its management had met with representatives of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) International Technical Assistance Program mission in Ukraine, and the Washington office had held a video conference on the possibility of operating the Zaporozhe plant in the mode of 'normalised primary frequency control' during parallel operation with Ukraine's grid.

"The joint efforts of Energoatom and Ukrenergo, with the support of USAID, enable confirmation of the technical readiness of Ukrainian nuclear power units to operate, not only in the conditions of the unified power system of Ukraine, but also in compliance with the requirements of the European continental network ENTSO-E," said Energoatom First Vice President and Technical Director Yuriy Sheiko.

ENTSO-E, the European Network of Transmission System Operators, represents 42 electricity transmission system operators from 35 countries across Europe, thus extending beyond EU borders.

Energoatom's Energy Security Project began in 2019, with the support of USAID and the United States Energy Association.

Energoatom operates four nuclear power plants in Ukraine - Khmelnitsky, Rovno, South Ukraine and Zaporozhe - with a combined installed capacity of 13,168 MWe. The Zaporozhe plant consists of six VVER V-320 units.