According to the company, now the preparation for the production of components is at the final stage. And already in 2026 they plan to enter the full production cycle.
Energoatom will start production of nuclear fuel components in 2023. This was reported on March 16 in the press center of the company.
Energoatom President Petr Kotin and Energy Minister of Ukraine Herman Galushchenko are reported to have visited the only facility in Ukraine where they will manufacture nuclear fuel components for domestic nuclear power units.
“Ukraine is one of the first countries to diversify the supply of nuclear fuel, and this made it possible to refuse to purchase it from Russia. Our common task with our American partners is to develop the appropriate types of fuel as quickly as possible in order to force Russia out of the nuclear fuel market” – said Herman Galushchenko.
Preparation for production is at the final stage. Now the company is completing the process of licensing nuclear fuel components, and plans to start their commercial production within 2023.
Why is it important for Ukraine to produce its own nuclear fuel components
The components produced by Energoatom will be used to manufacture fuel intended for VVER-440 reactors, where the Russian analogue was previously used. For this, Ukrainian specialists are now working at the Swedish company Westinghouse. It is by their technology that domestic components will be produced, on the basis of which the Swedish company will produce nuclear fuel for Ukrainian nuclear power plants.
At the same time, in the future, Energoatom plans to enter the full cycle of nuclear fuel production.
“2026 is the date when we will be able to fully produce our Ukrainian fuel from components that are manufactured here. And we will purchase elements that we cannot produce from partners,” Petr Kotin said.
Recall that due to the massive missile attack of the Russian Federation on the territory of Ukraine on March 9, the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant was de-energized.
Earlier, on March 5, Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Galushchenko said that diplomatic efforts to return the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant under Ukrainian control had stalled.
