Russian TVEL hints that it is still ready to build a nuclear fuel plant in Ukraine
The construction of Ukraine’s own nuclear fuel production plant is the only option for Ukrainian nuclear power plants to be independent from an external monopoly supplier, said the president of the Russian fuel TVEL, Yuri Olenin, in an interview with the British magazine Nuclear Engineering International.
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“We were ready to help our neighbors, won the tender, invested significant funds, and manufactured equipment. Unfortunately, Ukraine did not have the money or political will to successfully complete the project, which remains relevant today as the only real option for diversifying nuclear fuel supplies. All other methods are additional dependence on external supplies,” said the head of TVEL.
Previously, it was planned that in 2015 a plant for the production of nuclear fuel would be launched in the Kirovograd region, the construction of which was carried out by the Ukrainian corporation “Nuclear Fuel” together with TVEL. The cost of the future plant was estimated at 330-350 million dollars. 60% of the costs were borne by the Russian side. In 2011, about 80% of the preparatory work was completed at the construction site
However, in 2014, Ukraine refused to cooperate with Russia in the nuclear field and allowed the supply of modernized nuclear fuel to the country’s nuclear power plants by the American company Westinghouse. In February 2016, this fuel was already supplied to the Zaporozhye and South Ukrainian nuclear power plants. Westinghouse refused to build a fuel plant in Ukraine, although hopes were pinned on it in Kyiv.
Russian TVEL hints it remains ready to build a nuclear fuel plant in Ukraine.