Westinghouse (the United States) is ready to fully provide all Ukrainian nuclear power plants (NPP) with nuclear fuel, the press service of the Ministry of Energy and Coal Industry has reported, citing the company representatives during a meeting with Energy Minister Ihor Nasalyk.
The company assured about the availability of all the technical and logistic capabilities to reach the 100% provision of all power units of Ukrainian nuclear power plants with nuclear fuel. Now the company supplies fuel to six VVER-1000 power units. The third unit of Yuzhnoukrainsk NPP is completely switched to the fuel of Westinghouse.
“Considering the existing threats to the national security of Ukraine, in case of cessation of supplies of nuclear fuel from the Russian Federation, we are ready to ensure the operation of power units at Ukrainian NPPs using fuel from Westinghouse,” the minister said.
In addition, the parties are considering the expansion of cooperation regarding the company’s participation in the construction of a nuclear fuel treatment plant in Ukraine, as well as the implementation of the Ukraine-EU Energy Bridge project.
Currently, Westinghouse occupies 40% of the Ukrainian nuclear fuel market, supplying it to six out of 15 reactors.
As reported, in early 2018 Energoatom and Westinghouse Electric extended the contract for the supply of nuclear fuel until 2025.
Kharkiv-based JSC Turboatom and Westinghouse have extended a memorandum of understanding in the nuclear energy sphere for one year.
The press service of National Nuclear Generating Company Energoatom reported that the document was signed on November 7, 2018 by Turboatom Director General Viktor Subotin, Westinghouse Vice President and Managing Director Aziz Dag and Energoatom President Yuriy Nedashkovsky during the international fuel and energy forum held in Kyiv.
“The memorandum of understanding with Turboatom includes cooperation under the Ukraine-EU Energy Bridge Project. According to the memorandum, Turboatom will provide products and services for the turbine part of the project. Yesterday, the expansion of the current memorandum for another year was signed,” Dag told Interfax-Ukraine.
As reported, Westinghouse within cooperation with Turboatom continues to discuss preparations for the implementation of programs to increase the installed capacity of VVER power units and the capability utilization index, while activation of cooperation is possible when launching the Ukraine-EU Energy Bridge Project.
The government decided to implement the Ukraine-EU Energy Bridge pilot project in June 2015. The project envisages organizing the transmission of power from reactor two of the Khmelnytsky NPP to the EU power grid. The funds received from electricity exports from this reactor are planned to be used to finance the construction of reactors three and four of the Khmelnytsky NPP.
A consortium of companies, consisting of Westinghouse Electric Sweden AB, Polenergia International S.àr.l. and EDF Trading Limited, announced their intention to participate in the project of arranging the Ukraine-EU energy bridge.
Ukraine purchased nuclear fuel for a total of $213.511 million in January-May 2018, which was 21.7% more than for the same period in 2017 ($175.490 million).
Over the period under review, Ukraine bought Russian nuclear fuel worth $138.645 million for Ukrainian nuclear power plants, while nuclear fuel shipments from Sweden totaled $74.867 million, the State Statistics Service of Ukraine said.
Thus, the share of purchases of nuclear fuel by Ukraine in January-May-2018 from Russia’s TVEL in monetary terms was to 64.9%, that from Westinghouse (Sweden) stood at 35.1%.
National Nuclear Generating Company Energoatom plans to fully load Westinghouse fuel to four reactors of Zaporizhia nuclear power plant (NPP) in 2019-2021, the press service of the company reported after a meeting of the panel for the installation of Westinghouse fuel assemblies at Ukrainian NPPs. It is planned that in 2019-2021, the active zones of the first, third, fourth and fifth reactors of Zaporizhia NPP will completely have U.S. nuclear fuel. The second and sixth reactors of Zaporizhia NPP are planned to continue to be operated using only Russian nuclear fuel,” the press service said.
The press service said that in 2016, Westinghouse nuclear fuel (one fourth of the total volume, three fourth was the Russian fuel) was loaded into the active zone of the fifth reactor of Zaporizhia NPP. In June 2017, another batch of Westinghouse fuel was added to this reactor, after which its quantity in the active zone reached a half.
In September-October 2017, Westinghouse fuel (one fourth of the total volume for each reactor) was loaded into the active zones of the first, third and fourth reactors of Zaporizhia NPP.
According to the company’s plans, in 2018 it is planned to increase the loading of Westinghouse fuel to the core of the fifth reactor with to three fourth of the total volume, and the first and third reactors to a half. Loading of the next batch of Westinghouse fuel into the active zone of the fourth reactor of Zaporizhia NPP is planned for 2019 in connection with the performance of works to extend the life of this facility.
