Ukraine plans to launch the production of nuclear fuel rods in 2020 / Photo from uatom.org
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko insists that the share of nuclear fuel Ukraine buys from Russia for its nuclear power plants should shrink to 45% of total consumption in 2017, according to an UNIAN correspondent.
"We have diversified nuclear fuel shipments. How much did we import nuclear fuel [from Russia] three years ago? 100%. How much did we get in 2016? It was 55% already. How much have I tasked for 2017? It will be 45%," he said while visiting state-owned power generating company Centrenergo's Trypilska combined heat and power plant on Thursday, June 8.
The remaining 55% of nuclear fuel will be bought from the U.S.-Japanese company Westinghouse, he added.
As UNIAN reported earlier, Ukraine's state-run operator of nuclear power plants, Energoatom, concluded an agreement with Westinghouse to buy nuclear fuel as part of the diversification of fuel supplies and reduction of dependence on one supplier, Russia's TVEL.
In March 2015, Yuzhnoukrainsk nuclear power plant successfully completed the loading of upgraded TVS-WR fuel manufactured by Westinghouse at its power unit No. 3. In April 2015, the unit was connected to the country's power grid.
Read alsoPoroshenko insists on political liability for 2009 gas contract with RussiaIn February 2016, Energoatom supplied the first batch of nuclear fuel from Westinghouse to Zaporizhia nuclear power plant. In the first half of 2016, Energoatom imported 41.6% of nuclear fuel assemblies from Westinghouse, while the remaining 58.4% arrived from Russia.
Ukraine plans to launch the production of nuclear fuel and elements (rods) containing nuclear fuel in 2020, aiming to provide Ukrainian nuclear reactors with fuel of own production and reduce imports. This is stated in the concept of the development of the nuclear industrial complex until 2020, which was previously adopted at a Cabinet meeting. In 2020, Ukraine plans to produce 630 rods containing Ukrainian-made nuclear fuel, the document said. To achieve this goal, the production of uranium concentrate is to be boosted along with the launch of the production of zirconium rolled stock and fuel rods.
UNIAN memo. Energoatom is Ukraine's largest electricity producer, accounting for about 55% of the country's overall power output. Energoatom is responsible for the safe operation of the country's nuclear power plants.
Ukraine ranks seventh globally in terms of the installed capacity of its nuclear power generating units. Energoatom operates four nuclear power plants across Ukraine with a total of 15 power generating units, all with VVER-type reactors. Zaporizhia nuclear power plant, operating six power units with a total capacity of 6 GW, is Europe's largest.