New nuclear fuel from the company Westinghouse (USA) for two units of the Khmelnytsky Nuclear Power Plant with VVER-1000 reactors has been delivered to the station site, the press service of the National Nuclear Energy Generating Company "Energoatom" reported on Friday.
According to the information provided, the fuel loading into the Khmelnytsky NPP reactors will be carried out this year during planned preventive maintenance.
"Prior to this, two units of the Khmelnytsky NPP operated on Russian fuel purchased before the full-scale invasion. After February 24, 2022, Energoatom completely terminated cooperation with the aggressor country. From now on, all domestic NPPs will use American nuclear fuel assemblies," the statement emphasizes.
The press service noted that the company has carried out a series of technical works and acquired 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, with the aim of diversifying the sources of nuclear fuel supply for Ukrainian NPPs, Energoatom jointly with Westinghouse started implementing a project to qualify the nuclear fuel of this company. The first contract for the supply of nuclear fuel between the parties was signed in 2008.
In June 2022, Energoatom and Westinghouse signed an agreement for the supply of nuclear fuel for all NPPs in Ukraine.
In September 2023, Energoatom became the world's first power generation company to operate reactors of Soviet design but implemented a project to diversify nuclear fuel for VVER-1000 and VVER-440 reactors.
