Fresh nuclear fuel from Westinghouse (USA) for two power units of Khmelnytsky NPP with VVER-1000 reactors has been delivered to the plant site, the press service of NNEGC Energoatom reported on Friday.
According to the press service, fuel will be loaded into KhNPP reactors this year during scheduled preventive maintenance.
“Before that, two KhNPP units were operating on Russian fuel purchased before the full-scale invasion. After February 24, 2022, Energoatom completely ceased cooperation with the aggressor country. From now on, all domestic nuclear power plants will use American fuel assemblies,” the statement said.
The press service noted that the company has carried out a number of technical works and purchased the necessary equipment to ensure that all Ukrainian NPP units with VVER-1000 and VVER-440 reactors operate on Westinghouse fuel.
As reported, in 2000, in order to diversify the sources of nuclear fuel supply for Ukrainian NPPs, Energoatom and Westinghouse launched a project to qualify Westinghouse’s nuclear fuel. The first nuclear fuel supply contract between the parties was signed in 2008.
In June 2022, Energoatom and Westinghouse signed an agreement on the supply of nuclear fuel for all Ukrainian NPPs.
In September 2023, Energoatom became the world’s first power generating company to operate Soviet-designed reactors, but implemented a project to diversify nuclear fuel for VVER-1000 and VVER-440 reactors.
