Energoatom gets backing for new nuclear fuel facility

Friday, 5 April 2024

The company says that the facility will include Westinghouse technology within the project which will see the assembling of nuclear fuel for VVER-1000 reactors, from ready-made components, some of which are already manufactured at Energoatom sites.

The location of what Energoatom describes as a unique production facility is close to the South Ukraine nuclear power plant, about 300 kilometres south of Kyiv, and it is anticipated that construction will see the creation of about 110 jobs.

During the public hearings on Thursday, Energoatom stressed the safety measures of the industrial site and, according to its report: "Having received answers to the rest of the questions regarding ecology, financing, economic benefits and social preferences, the residents of the South Ukrainian community unanimously supported the construction of the Technological Complex."

Energoatom, which has ended any use of Russian nuclear fuel since the start of the war in 2022, has been diversifying its fuel supply and ultimately aims to create a complete nuclear fuel cycle in the country. Last year Energoatom President Petro Kotin said the full cycle of nuclear fuel production in Ukraine could be achieved by 2026, with Ukraine's Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko saying that in the longer term the aim is to export to other countries.

Ukraine has 13 VVER-1000 reactors, including three at South Ukraine NPP, as well as another six at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which has been under Russian military control since early March 2022. The Rivne nuclear power plant has two VVER-1000s and also two VVER-440 reactors.