VVER fuel assembly (Image: Westinghouse Electric Company)
Amid the conflict of the Russo-Ukrainian War, Ukraine remained paradoxically reliant on Russia for the fuel for over half of their energy production. That was, until earlier this month.
Nuclear power in Ukraine provides a sustainable, baseload power source to the grid with no carbon emissions. However, its main drawback is that all four of Ukraine’s nuclear plants were built by Russian manufacturers. Although some of these reactors, VVER-1000 units, can be supplied with fuel from the west, Russian companies still monopolize products for VVER-440 units like the Rivne plant.
In September 2020, initial contracts were produced to diversify the fuel supply for Russian-built reactors in Ukraine and other European countries, namely VVER-440 units. With the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in early 2022, these efforts were hastened. Ukraine partnered with Pittsburg-based company Westinghouse for the design and manufacture of compatible fuels, and earlier this month their efforts were finally realized.
In early September, Westinghouse’s VVER-440 fuel arrived at the Rivne plant in northwestern Ukraine and was successfully used in refueling the reactor. This represents a significant milestone for Ukraine’s energy independence, as there are now no remaining Ukrainian nuclear plants with reliance on Russian suppliers.
Similarly, this is a point of significance for other former Soviet-Union countries in control of VVER-440 reactors. Currently 16 VVER-440 reactor units are operational in the European Union, and a fuel supply from Westinghouse can signify further economic independence from Russia.
Looking forward, Ukraine plans to continue to supply their reactors with Westinghouse fuel, and later to manufacture their own fuel domestically using Westinghouse technology. Additional EU-controlled reactors will have the option to use Westinghouse or Russian-supplied fuel, creating a competitive market and giving countries more agency in their nuclear programs. And overall, this competitive market will drive further innovation in the nuclear industry, a great benefit as the world strives towards net-zero carbon emissions.
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