The Energoatom national nuclear power generating company and Westinghouse (U.S.) have agreed to expand cooperation in the field of nuclear fuel supplies and the construction of new nuclear power units in Ukraine.
The Energoatom has said this in a statement, Ukrainian News Agency reports.
It is noted that on June 2, Energoatom and Westinghouse Electric Company signed three agreements at the Khmelnytskyi nuclear power plant site: on providing nuclear fuel to all nuclear power plants in Ukraine; on increasing the number of NPP power units built using AP1000 technology in Ukraine; on the creation of the Westinghouse engineering and technical center in Ukraine.
"In connection with the refusal to purchase Russian nuclear fuel, Energoatom agreed with its strategic partner, Westinghouse, to increase the supply of American nuclear fuel for the needs of all Ukrainian nuclear power plants. It concerns providing fuel to both already operating power units and those that companies plan to build in cooperation in Ukraine. The fuel will be supplied from Westinghouse's production site in Vasteras (Sweden)," it was said.
At that, the production of fuel assembly components will take place in Ukraine on the basis of one of the separate divisions of Energoatom, completing the qualification for the production of heads and shanks for Westinghouse fuel.
"Within the framework of cooperation on the construction of new NPP power units in Ukraine using AP1000 technology, Energoatom and Westinghouse agreed to increase their number from 5 to 9 units. AP1000 is a proven reactor of III+ generation with unique fully passive safety systems, modular standard design, best operating characteristics in the field and the ability to operate in maneuvering mode. Both companies also confirmed their intention to create a Westinghouse engineering and technical center in Ukraine, which will be engaged in engineering, technical and technological support for the construction and operation of AP1000 power units in Ukraine, as well as a future program for decommissioning Ukrainian nuclear power plants," the statement said.
According to Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko, the agreements reached between Energoatom and Westinghouse are another powerful step towards Ukraine's energy independence and its carbon-free future, in particular, they open up a huge potential for supplying Ukrainian electricity to European countries, which will help reduce their dependence on Russian energy.
"So, the number of NPP power units built using AP1000 technology in Ukraine will be increased from 5 to 9," the Ministry of Energy said in a statement.
As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, Energoatom will accelerate work on creating fuel cassette production in Ukraine based on American Westinghouse technology in order to completely replace fuel of Russian origin.
Energoatom expects that 2 AP1000 power units built at the Khmelnytskyi nuclear power plant together with the American Westinghouse will be commissioned in 2027-2029.
Energoatom operates four nuclear power plants with 15 nuclear reactors (including 13 VVER-1000 reactors and two VVER-440 reactors with a combined installed capacity of 13,835 MW), two hydropower units at the Tashlyk pumped-storage hydroelectric power plant (which has an installed capacity of 302 MW), and two hydropower units at the Oleksandrivka hydroelectric power plant (an installed capacity of 11.5 MW).
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