Ukraine To Continue Efforts On Diversifying Nuclear Supplies And Services, Official Says

24 Aug (NucNet): Ukraine’s national nuclear operator Energoatom will continue to diversify its supply of nuclear materials and services, Yuri Nedashkovsky, Energoatom’s president, was quoted as saying in a statement on the company’s website. Mr Nedashkovsky spoke at a media briefing on 18 August after Energoatom and the Anglo-German-Dutch company Urenco signed a contract for Urenco to supply uranium enrichment services to Ukraine. The Ukrainian company said earlier this year it had invited Urenco to submit an offer to supply uranium enrichment as part of a competitive procurement exercise. Mr Nedashkovsky said Energoatom is “on the path of diversification of supply in several ways”, with one direction being the ongoing cooperation with Westinghouse in manufacturing nuclear fuel assemblies for Ukraine’s Soviet-built VVER reactors. He also said Energoatom is working on the diversification of other nuclear-related services, such as the transportation of nuclear materials, where “achievements will be presented” next year. Ukraine has 15 reactors in commercial operation, all of the VVER type. They produced about 56 percent of the country’s electricity in 2015, according to data by the International Atomic Energy Agency.