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.
The refusal from Russian nuclear fuel with a parallel active entry into the global nuclear materials market allowed Energoatom to save UAH 2.3 billion on the difference in world prices since 2022.
“The effective work of Energoatom in the uranium market and its conversion and enrichment services has given Ukraine the opportunity not only to get rid of its dependence on Russian nuclear fuel, but also to save significant funds,” the company said, citing NNEGC Chairman Petro Kotin.
According to him, the decisions taken by the company in 2022-2023 to increase the purchase of uranium and uranium conversion and enrichment services, as well as the negotiations and contracts concluded in advance with Energoatom’s international partners, represented by the British Urenco and Canadian CAMECO, have brought positive results so far.
“Firstly, we have calmly and without damage completely abandoned nuclear materials and related services of Russian origin. Secondly, we save about UAH 2.3 billion on the difference in world prices for these products (from the time of procurement to the present day, they have increased by more than a third on average),” Kotin said.
According to the NNEGC, the global revival of nuclear generation has led to a continuous increase in prices for uranium and uranium conversion and enrichment services, which are already reflected in world records.
“Therefore, the contracts signed by Energoatom with Urenco and CAMECO guarantee long-term uninterrupted operation of the domestic nuclear generation,” the company added.
Urenco, in particular, will supply Energoatom with uranium enrichment services until 2035 with the possibility of extending the contract until 2043; CAMECO will meet Energoatom’s needs for natural uranium hexafluoride (UF6) by 100% in 2024-2035 by supplying it and providing conversion services.
Ukraine may eventually become a supplier of nuclear fuel based on the technology of American Westinghouse to European countries, Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko said during a visit to a Ukrainian enterprise where it is planned to assemble nuclear fuel (fuel assemblies (FAs) – IFU) for Russian-made VVER-1000 and VVER-440 reactors on March 16.
“Ukraine, having rejected Russian nuclear fuel, has switched its nuclear power units to nuclear fuel from the American manufacturer Westinghouse. The Czech Republic, Slovakia, Finland and Bulgaria have also expressed their desire to make such a transition. Ukraine may become a supplier of nuclear fuel for these countries in the future,” he said.
According to the Minister, during the first stage of setting up production of fuel assemblies of Westinghouse technology at the Ukrainian company, we are going to produce their components within two years. In particular, it is planned to finish licensing and to start commercial production of shanks in 2023 and fuel cassettes’ heads in 2024. These components will be used to produce nuclear fuel for Energoatom’s needs at Westinghouse’s facility in Vesteros in Sweden.
As Peter Kotin, president of NAEK Energoatom, complemented the minister, the company plans to establish its own nuclear fuel production line in three years in general.
“It is planned that in three years we will reach the full cycle of nuclear fuel production in Ukraine. 2026 is the date when we will be able to fully produce our Ukrainian fuel from components made here. And the elements which we cannot produce we will buy from our partners,” explained Kotin.
He also noted the importance of production of nuclear fuel for VVER-440 type reactors which used to be produced only by Russia.
Currently there are 17 VVER-440 reactors functioning in Europe, which have no alternative to Russian fuel so far, and after setting up production of fuel assemblies for VVER-1000 reactors Ukraine will start to produce fuel for VVER-440 reactors as well.
Energoatom CEO emphasized that together with its strategic partner Westinghouse the company may then become an alternative supplier of nuclear fuel for other European countries which use Soviet-type reactors, such as Czech Republic, Slovakia, Finland and Bulgaria.
In turn, according to Galushchenko, Ukraine is one of the world leaders in nuclear power engineering and currently Ukrainian nuclear specialists together with their American partners are working to oust Russia from the world market of nuclear technologies.
As the NAEK informed, cooperation between Energoatom and Westinghouse on nuclear fuel production began in August 2018 when the American partner began qualifying one of NAEK’s separate divisions as a supplier of TVS-WR heads and liners. During 2019-2020, work was organized to produce them for Westinghouse Electric Sweden AB fuel assemblies.
In April 2022, the first batch of head components was manufactured and shipped to Westinghouse for qualification.
As reported, in March 2022, after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Energoatom completely abandoned the purchase of Russian nuclear fuel.
“Energoatom and Westinghouse signed an agreement on June 2, 2022 to supply nuclear fuel to all Ukrainian nuclear power plants with 15 power units.
Energoatom and American Westinghouse signed an agreement on the supply of nuclear fuel to all nuclear power plant (NPPs) in Ukraine on June 2 at the site of Khmelnytsky NPP, the company told Interfax-Ukraine on Friday.
“In connection with the refusal to purchase Russian nuclear fuel, Energoatom agreed with its strategic partner, Westinghouse, to increase the supply of American nuclear fuel for all Ukrainian nuclear power plants,” the company said.
We are talking about both the supply of nuclear fuel for existing nuclear power units, and for those that Energoatom and Westinghouse are still planning to build in Ukraine.
Fuel deliveries will be made from Westinghouse’s production site at Västerås in Sweden.
“At the same time, production of fuel assembly components will be carried out in Ukraine on the basis of one of the separate divisions of Energoatom, which is currently completing the qualification for production of assemblies for Westinghouse fuel,” the company emphasized.
In addition, on June 2, Energoatom and Westinghouse signed two more agreements at Khmelnytsky NPP: on increasing the number of nuclear power units to be built using the AP 1000 technology in Ukraine from five to nine units, and on establishing the Westinghouse engineering and technical center in Ukraine.
ENERGOATOM, NUCLEAR FUEL, UKRAINIAN NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS, WESTINGHOUSE
Ukraine in January-November 2019 bought nuclear fuel for a total amount of $356.088 million.
According to the State Statistics Service, over the 11 months, Ukrainian nuclear power plants (NPP) bought Russian-made fuel worth $200.108 million, fuel from Sweden for $155.98 million.
Thus, the share of nuclear fuel bought by Ukraine for the indicated period from TVEL (Russia) in monetary terms was 56.2%, while that from Westinghouse (Sweden) stood at 43.8%.
Ukraine in January-June 2019 acquired nuclear fuel for a total amount of $98.402 million.
According to the State Statistics Service, over the six months of this year Russian-made fuel worth $47.173 million and Swedish fuel for $51.229 million was purchased for Ukrainian nuclear power plants.
Thus, the share of Ukrainian purchases of nuclear fuel for the reporting period from TVEL (Russia) in monetary terms amounted to 47.9%, from Westinghouse (Sweden) some 52.1%.
