Seven power units of Ukrainian nuclear power plants were completely switched to the fuel of the American Westinghouse Electric Sweden AB. In 2024, all 15 power units will operate on it.
This was reported in the Energoatom company.
Thanks to this transition, nuclear energy of Ukraine will finally not depend on Russia. According to the president of Energoatom Petro Kotin, Ukraine became the first country on the European continent to diversify the supply of nuclear fuel for NPP reactors.
Also, the Energoatom company, together with Westinghouse, is working on the creation of "domestic" production of nuclear fuel in Ukraine using the technology of this company.
In November 2022, the Ministry of Energy appointed Energoatom as the operator of the future nuclear installation for the production of heat-separating assemblies for NPP reactors, and in December they agreed on a roadmap for the construction of a technological complex where these assemblies will be produced. It is planned to put the project into operation in 2026.
- Since 1991, the Russian company TVEL has been the only supplier of nuclear fuel for Ukrainian nuclear power plants. Since 2000, Energoatom has started the process of diversifying nuclear fuel supplies and has chosen an alternative supplier — Westinghouse Electric Sweden AB.
- In September 2021, Energoatom and Westinghouse signed a memorandum on the construction of five nuclear power units in Ukraine. Later, they decided to build nine power units there.
- At the Khmelnytskyi nuclear power plant , new power units will be built using the AR1000 technology of the American company Westinghouse. The AP1000 is a proven Generation III+ reactor with unique, fully passive safety systems, a modular standard design, industry-leading performance and maneuverability.