You're reading: Westinghouse to supply six batches of nuclear fuel to Energoatom in 2017

Westinghouse Electric Sweden will supply six batches of nuclear fuel to National Nuclear Generating Company Energoatom for Ukrainian nuclear power plants (NPP) in 2017, Interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and President of Westinghouse Electric Company Jose Emeterio Gutierrez has said.

“In 2017, Westinghouse will first supply six batches of fuel to Ukraine. It is planned that six batches will be shipped every year until 2020. At least this is outlined in the contract,” he said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

Gutierrez recalled that Westinghouse expanded the nuclear fuel production capacity of its plant in Sweden for reactors of VVER type, which allowed Ukraine to expand diversification of supplies.

‘We have also invested in our plant in the United States. It will deliver spare parts to the Swedish plant. In general, investment totaled $20 million. Now we are ready to supply more fuel to Ukraine, but the final decision to buy more Westinghouse fuel is to be made by the Ukrainian government,” he said.

He said that recent tests of WR fuel assembles at the Yuzhnoukrainsk NPP were successful.

“It is obvious now that Westinghouse fuel meets requirements of Ukraine: the recent inspection at the Yuzhnoukrainsk NPP last week proved it. This is good news for Energoatom that knows that Westinghouse is a good and reliable supplier,” Gutierrez said.

In turn, Energoatom President Yuriy Nedashkovsky confirmed to Interfax-Ukraine that the company intends to buy six batches of nuclear fuel from Westinghouse this year.

“We plan to buy six batches this year. It is likely that some fuel would be a reserve, as our repair schedules are permanently changed. The lifespan of one of the reactors for which we buy fuel will be extended during repair. It could happen that we would buy more than we load, but this is within one batch,” he said.

As reported, on March 29, Westinghouse LLC, and certain of its subsidiaries and affiliates, filed voluntary petitions under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Westinghouse’s operations in its Asia and Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Regions are not impacted by the Chapter 11 filings.

In order to diversify sources of nuclear fuel supply for the country’s NPPs, Energoatom jointly with Westinghouse in 2000 launched the project for the qualification of this company’s fuel. In March 2008 Energoatom and Westinghouse Electric Sweden AB (Sweden) signed a commercial contract to ship fresh fuel to three or six reactors of Ukrainian NPPs in 2011-2015. In April 2014, the sides prolonged the contract until 2020.