The first batch of Ukrainian uranium mined at the Eastern Mining and Processing Plant (SkhidGZK) was loaded and dispatched to Canada, where the Ukrainian uranium will be used for the production of nuclear fuel for the needs of domestic NPPs at the САМЕСО facilities.
This was reported by President of SE "NNEGC "Energoatom" Petro Kotin.
"The agreement with our strategic partner CAMECO provides for the supply of the entire volume of uranium mined at the Eastern Mining and Processing Plant to Canada and its further conversion into natural uranium hexafluoride (UF6). Such a process is necessary to prepare for dispatching it for enrichment to our other strategic partners – URENCO company (Great Britain), and then – to Westinghouse already for nuclear fuel manufacture. Such nuclear material processing is not available in Ukraine yet. But we are working on creating the appropriate capacities," Petro Kotin stressed.
Currently, special transport with uranium is moving through Europe.
As a reminder, the cooperation between Energoatom and CAMECO began in 2019 with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding in the nuclear field. After that, the partnership only expanded and strengthened. After lengthy negotiations, on March 19, 2023, in London, President of SE "NNEGC "Energoatom" Petro Kotin and CAMECO President and CEO Tim Gitzel signed bilateral contracts to expand the ongoing cooperation between the companies. The signing ceremony was held in the presence of the Minister of Energy of Ukraine Herman Halushchenko, who joined the ceremony online.
Thus, CAMECO will provide 100% of Energoatom’s needs for natural uranium hexafluoride for Rivne, Khmelnytskyy and South Ukraine NPPs from 2024 through 2035. The contract also envisages the possibility of supplying the Zaporizhzhya NPP with uranium hexafluoride as soon as control over the nuclear plant is returned to its legitimate operator – Energoatom.
Another agreement stipulates that Energoatom shall sell to Canada domestic uranium, which is mined by the Eastern Mining and Processing Plant in Ukraine. Cameco will provide the conversion of Ukrainian uranium for Energoatom’s needs.
In April 2023, SE "NNEGC "Energoatom" signed an agreement with a Canadian company on the physical delivery of uranium concentrate from Ukraine to Canada. The companies also signed a memorandum on the development of the uranium mining industry in Ukraine with the assistance of Canadian partners.
