KIEV, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese company Dongfang Electric International Corporation (DEIC) and Ukrainian company Donbasenergo on Thursday signed an agreement on the joint reconstruction of a power unit at Sloviansk thermal power plant (TPP) in eastern Ukraine.

The document was signed in Kiev by Luo Zhigang, chairman of the DEIC, and Eduard Bondarenko, director general of the Donbasenergo.

The deal envisages that the two companies will divide the power generating unit No. 6 at Sloviansk TPP into two separate units with a capacity of 330 megawatts each.

One of the new units is set to be put into service in July 2022, while another is expected to become operational in July 2023.

Both units will use environmentally-friendly fluidized bed combustion technology to burn coal for producing electricity.

Ukrainian First Vice Prime Minister Stepan Kubiv, who participated in the signing ceremony, said that the project would contribute to boosting Ukraine's ecological security.

"This is an innovative project. This is a modernization of energy supply systems in Ukraine within the standards of the European and the global community," Kubiv told the signing ceremony.

Along with environmental benefits, the project is aimed at increasing the efficiency of the Sloviansk power station, reducing its maintenance costs and extending its lifespan by 40 years.

The project with an estimated cost of about 684.3 million U.S. dollars is set to create about 3,000 new jobs.

The director general of the Donbasenergo said the upgrade of the unit is a project of particular importance not only for the Donbas region, but for Ukraine as a whole.

"This is one of the largest national energy projects since the independence of our state," Bondarenko said.

Earlier this month, the DEIC was chosen by the Ukrainian government to upgrade the power unit at Sloviansk TPP through a platform for electronic procurement ProZorro.

The DEIC chairman hailed the innovative tendering system in Ukraine, saying it creates all opportunities for fair competition.

"I want to say 'thanks' to the Ukrainian government for the open, fair and the equal way of selecting the contractor for this project," Luo said.

He pledged that the Chinese company would bring new technologies and high-quality services to Ukraine's energy sector while implementing the project.