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Thinking beyond the war's end, Ukraine extends planning from 5 to 9 WESTERN nuclear reactors...
...and Western nuclear fuel.
The current Ukrainian nuclear fleet consists of VVER reactors, designed and largely fabricated in Russia. As PWR reactors go, they're not all that bad, hardly perfect, but not bad. Nevertheless Russia is a pariah country.
I discussed VVER in some detail, albeit superficially previously here: Some comments on the war situation with Chernobyl as well as the operable nuclear plants in Ukraine.
Finland recently canceled plans to build a VVER and are looking for new suppliers. It should be obvious than independent Ukraine will stop doing business with Russia, and they've found a new supplier:
Westinghouse and Energoatom expand plans to nine AP1000 units
An excerpt:
Energoatom and US firm Westinghouse have signed an agreement to increase from five to nine the number of planned new AP1000 reactors for Ukraine, as well as a widened agreement to supply all nuclear fuel for the country’s reactor fleet.
The two companies also restated their plans for a Westinghouse engineering centre in Ukraine to support the projects for the new units as well as a future decommissioning programme.
Energoatom announced earlier this year that it would stop using Russian nuclear fuel. It was already in the process of diversifying its fuel supplies, but will now be making a full shift to using Westinghouse fuel, supplied from the company’s fabrication site in Västerås in Sweden, with fuel assembly component production in Ukraine, with Energoatom’s Atomenergomash "currently completing qualification to manufacture top and bottom nozzles for Westinghouse fuel".
The agreement between the two firms was signed by Energoatom President Petro Kotin and Westinghouse President and CEO Patrick Fragmnan, at the Khmelnitsky nuclear power plant, where the first two AP1000 units will be built. The two companies already had an agreement for five AP1000 reactors in the country, but the new agreement expands that number to nine.
"Even during this challenging time, we continue to work actively with Westinghouse, our strategic partner. We will expand the areas and scope of cooperation and are confident that together, we will not only write a new chapter in the history of Ukraine's nuclear energy, but also make an important contribution to the energy independence of Europe," said Kotin.
"Westinghouse is proud to sign these agreements to fully support Ukraine’s current operating fleet with our industry-leading fuels and services and to increase the number of committed new AP1000 plants from five to nine. We greatly value our long-standing partnership with Energoatom and look forward to the work ahead to help advance Ukraine's carbon-free future," said Fragman.
The two companies also restated their plans for a Westinghouse engineering centre in Ukraine to support the projects for the new units as well as a future decommissioning programme.
Energoatom announced earlier this year that it would stop using Russian nuclear fuel. It was already in the process of diversifying its fuel supplies, but will now be making a full shift to using Westinghouse fuel, supplied from the company’s fabrication site in Västerås in Sweden, with fuel assembly component production in Ukraine, with Energoatom’s Atomenergomash "currently completing qualification to manufacture top and bottom nozzles for Westinghouse fuel".
The agreement between the two firms was signed by Energoatom President Petro Kotin and Westinghouse President and CEO Patrick Fragmnan, at the Khmelnitsky nuclear power plant, where the first two AP1000 units will be built. The two companies already had an agreement for five AP1000 reactors in the country, but the new agreement expands that number to nine.
"Even during this challenging time, we continue to work actively with Westinghouse, our strategic partner. We will expand the areas and scope of cooperation and are confident that together, we will not only write a new chapter in the history of Ukraine's nuclear energy, but also make an important contribution to the energy independence of Europe," said Kotin.
"Westinghouse is proud to sign these agreements to fully support Ukraine’s current operating fleet with our industry-leading fuels and services and to increase the number of committed new AP1000 plants from five to nine. We greatly value our long-standing partnership with Energoatom and look forward to the work ahead to help advance Ukraine's carbon-free future," said Fragman.
The picture of the partners shaking hands is kind of cool: The Ukrainians are dressed in their new chic formal wear from the Zelensky House of Fashion, and the Americans in their traditional tribal wear, but without the traditional colored ties now reserved for chieftains:
