CUBA OFFERS UKRAINE EQUIPMENT FROM UNFINISHED NUKE POWER PLANT

KIEV, JUNE 3 (RIA Novosti) - Cuba has offered to Ukraine to make use of equipment from the unfinished nuclear power plant Huragua. Evelio Saura Pedrol, chairman of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Havana province, made the offer at the second round of Ukrainian-Cuban talks in Kiev, said the press service of the Ukrainian nuclear electricity stations operator National Nuclear Power Generating Company Energoatom.

Construction of the Haragua plant with four VVER-440 reactors, designed with Russia's active involvement and financing, began in 1983. It was initially planned that the first unit would be started up in 1995-1996. The project fully stopped in 1992, when economic relations with Russia were axed.

Now, the project consists of two unfinished power units, which have been offered to Ukraine.

Sergei Ryabtsev, vice-president for social and general matters at Energoatom, said that its specialists are assessing prospective use of the equipment, particularly the VVER-440 reactor, for the Rovno nuclear power project. They are studying the possibility of purchase and very soon examine the reactor's condition.

Ukraine's four nuclear power facilities make use of 13 power units, eleven VVER-1000 and two VVER-440 of the new generation.