On March 16, 2023, President of SE "NNEGC "Energoatom" Petro Kotin and Minister of Energy of Ukraine Herman Halushchenko paid a working visit to the unique production facility in Ukraine, where nuclear fuel components for domestic nuclear power units will be manufactured.
"Ukraine is one of the first countries that diversified the supply of nuclear fuel, and this allowed abandoning its purchase from russia. Our joint task with our American partners is to produce the appropriate types of fuel as soon as possible in order to displace russia from the nuclear fuel market," Herman Halushchenko emphasized.
Currently, Energoatom is completing the process of nuclear fuel components licensing, and as early as 2023 the Company plans to launch their industrial manufacture.
"Two years ago, Energoatom set a course for in-house manufacture of nuclear fuel. Therefore, on the production line of the enterprise, the Company's professionals will manufacture fuel components using Westinghouse technology," Petro Kotin said.
These components will be utilized for the production at the Westinghouse plant in Vasteras (Sweden) of nuclear fuel used by Energoatom NPPs. Now next in turn the production launch of frames for fuel assemblies for nuclear reactors and the launch of an assembly line for domestically manufactured nuclear fuel.
"It is planned that in three years we will start a full cycle of nuclear fuel manufacture in Ukraine. 2026 is the date when we will be able to fully produce our Ukrainian fuel from components manufactured here. And the components that we will not be able to produce, we will purchase from our partners," Energoatom CEO stressed.
Furthermore, he highlighted the importance of the production of nuclear fuel for VVER-440 reactors, which was previously manufactured only by russia. For this reason, Ukrainian specialists are now "working in Vasteras, providing assistance to Westinghouse."
In such way, Ukraine is implementing a strategy of transition to the use of "clean" energy and a decarbonized energy future, in which the nuclear industry will play a key role.
Finally, Petro Kotin noted that for other states that still operate Soviet-style power units, such as the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Finland and Bulgaria, Energoatom may eventually become an alternative supplier of nuclear fuel together with its strategic partner, the U.S. company Westinghouse.
For reference: cooperation between Energoatom and Westinghouse on the production of nuclear fuel started in August 2018. It was then that the American partner began pursuing a qualification of one of the separated subdivisions of Energoatom as a supplier of RWFA top and bottom nozzles. During 2019-2020, work was organized on their production for Westinghouse Electric Sweden AB fuel assemblies.
In April 2022, the first batch of top nozzle components was manufactured and shipped to the Westinghouse facility for pursuing a qualification.
