WNN reports that Ukraine has 15 nuclear reactors in commercial operation at four sites - Khmelnitsky, Rovno, South Ukraine and Zaporozhe - which are all operated by state-owned Energoatom. The units comprise 13 VVER-1000s and two VVER-440s with a total capacity of 13,835 MWe. Ukraine receives most of its nuclear services and nuclear fuel from Russia, but it is reducing this dependence by buying fuel from Westinghouse, the US-headquartered subsidiary of Japan's Toshiba. Nedashkovsky said yesterday that Energoatom is the only utility in the world to have a "fully diversified source" of nuclear fuel supply to VVER-1000 reactors.
"Cooperation with Westinghouse has been integral to achievement of this goal," Nedashkovsky said. Westinghouse has been a nuclear fuel supplier to Ukraine since 2005, when the first lead test assemblies were delivered to unit 3 of the South Ukraine nuclear power plant. "This contract extension solidifies Westinghouse's role as a strategic partner for Energoatom and demonstrates our ability to support Ukraine with their energy diversification," said José Emeterio Gutiérrez, Westinghouse president and CEO.
The fuel to be supplied will consist of components both from Westinghouse Fuel Manufacturing in South Carolina, USA, and from a component manufacturer in Ukraine. The manufacturing and assembly work will be carried out by Westinghouse's fuel fabrication facility in Västerås, Sweden, where parts of the production lines are solely dedicated to VVER-1000 fuel, Energoatom said. Deliveries against the contract will begin in early 2021, immediately following the conclusion of existing contract.
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