On September 26, as per the Directive of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine No. 1033-r and Administrative Order of the State Agency for Exclusion Zone Management No. 210-25-OS, Mr. Serhii Oleksandrovych Tarakanov was appointed as Director General of the SSE Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant.

Acting Head of the State Agency for Exclusion Zone Management Volodymyr Feshchenko introduced Mr. Serhii Tarakanov to the staff of the power plant and informed that a contract was signed with the new Director General, who has significant experience in power engineering.

Serhii Oleksandrovych was born in Mykolaiv region on September 20, 1980. In 2002, he graduated from the Sevastopol National Institute of Nuclear Energy and Industry with a degree in Nuclear Power Engineering.  Mr. Serhii Tarakanov’s  total employment history is the same as his length of employment in the power generating industry and makes 23 years.

After graduating from the university he worked as a turbine equipment operator, reactor department operator, and senior reactor department operator at the South Ukraine NPP.

From 2005 to 2017, Serhii Tarakanov worked at the Directorate of JSC “National Nuclear Energy Generating Company Energoatom” where he rose from a lead engineer to the Director of the Modernization Department, and later to the Deputy Director of the Directorate for Operation Extension. He participated directly in development and implementation of programs to improve safety and to extend the operation of Ukrainian NPP power units.

Mr. Tarakanov took part in the IAEA expert missions. He was engaged in the projects funded by the EBRD and Euratom. Honors "For Significant Contribution to the Development of Nuclear Power Engineering of Ukraine" and "Honorary Employee of Nuclear Power Engineering of Ukraine " were conferred on Serhii Oleksandrovych.

From November 2017 to March 2023, Serhii Tarakanov was General Director of Holtec Ukraine.

In 2023-2025, Serhii Tarakanov worked in the field of renewable energy.

In his welcome address to the enterprise staff Serhii Oleksandrovych emphasized that the main tasks remain to ensure nuclear and radiation safety, to implement decommissioning programs and to manage spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste.