The Preparation to Introduction of Westinghouse Fuel at RNPP Has Started
Ukraine is getting ready to license the Westinghouse fuel envisaged for RNPP VVER-440 reactors. On 10 June this company signed the corresponding Agreement on development of documentation with Energoatom.
Licensing documentation is a condition of SNRIU for the operator to prepare a safety analysis report on the reliability of last generation of Westinghouse fuel assemblies to be used at RNPP Unit 2.
“We are ready to continue providing the assistance to our customer in implementation of nuclear fuel diversification strategy. This process is a key prerequisite for fuel delivery and use, says Aziz Dag, Vice President and Managing Director, Northern and Eastern Europe. “Westinghouse, as a leading company in nuclear sector, has proven experience in assistance of the licensing processes for its fuel all over the world”.
It is to be recalled that Westinghouse fuel assemblies are already being used at six reactors of Ukrainian NPPs (three reactors are fully loaded, three are partially loaded). At refueling of RNPP Unit 3 (VVER-1000) with American fuel this year, there will be seven fuel assemblies. Unit 2 VVER-440 reactor refueling with Westinghouse fuel assemblies is scheduled for 2024. The diversification of nuclear fuel sources for Ukrainian nuclear power plants and minimization of dependence on fuel supplies from Russia are achieved by means of introduction of American fuel.
