In Ukraine, they plan to engage in the production of nuclear fuel, which in time can replace Russian fuel for supplying EU countries. This was announced by the head of the Ukrainian Department of Energy Herman Galushchenko.
The minister informed that the state enterprise Energoatom will produce fuel assemblies for nuclear reactors of nuclear power plants. This year, the plant plans to obtain a license for the production of rods, and a year later – for the production of heads for fuel cartridges on an industrial scale.
Energoatom should have its own nuclear fuel production line in three years. The project is implemented with the help of the American company Westinghouse.
It is assumed that Ukraine will begin to transport nuclear fuel to European countries, where power plants equipped with VVER-440 reactors operate, which currently use Russian fuel. Deliveries will mainly go to the Czech Republic, Finland, Slovakia and Bulgaria.
Westinghouse began to cooperate with the Ukrainian side in 2011. In 2021, a memorandum was signed on the construction of one power unit of the Khmelnytsky nuclear power plant and four other power units. After the start of the special operation, Kiev refused to buy Russian nuclear fuel, replacing it with American.
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