Westinghouse already manufactures VVER-1000 fuel at its facility in Västerås, Sweden, but has been looking to restart its production capabilities for the smaller VVER-440 units.
The company used to supply VVER-440 fuel for Finland’s two-unit Loviisa nuclear power station, but ceased production in 2009. In 2014, it began examining the option of restarting VVER-440 production to potentially supply customers which operate the technology in central and eastern Europe.
Nuclear fuel manufacturer Enusa has been part of a consortium with other European partners from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Finland, and Ukraine, which in 2018 developed a conceptual VVER-440 fuel design with Westinghouse.
The agreement, which entered into force on 1 December, establishes that, exclusively, Westinghouse and Enusa will collaborate in the manufacture of VVER-440 fuel for the countries that currently operate this type of reactor.
“The two companies have reached this agreement that will allow operators to diversify the collection of this nuclear fuel and reduce dependence on the current supplier, strategically complying with the desire of the European Union to provide a real alternative in the supply of fuel,” Enusa said.
Guaranteeing An Alternative To Russian Fuel
“The events of recent months have forced companies in the nuclear sector to carry out an in-depth analysis of the market situation and adopt the necessary measures to guarantee the security of supply of nuclear fuel, for which reason both parties have formalised the announcement made last September.”
Westinghouse said in September that the agreement could deliver “a Western-made alternative to Russia-supplied fuel on the European market”.
Westinghouse and Enusa have been partnering on nuclear fuel technology for use in Europe since the 1970s. Westinghouse said it had supplied with Enusa nearly 750 fuel assemblies for Finland’s VVER-440 reactor units at Loviisa between 2002 and 2007.
Westinghouse has already signed deals to supply nuclear fuel for Ukraine’s entire fleet of VVER-1000 reactor units.
In June 2022, the Czech Republic signed a contract for the fuel to be supplied for two VVER-1000 units at its Temelin nuclear station in 2024. In December the Bulgarian ministry of energy confirmed the signing of a 10-year contract with Westinghouse for the delivery of nuclear fuel for Kozloduy-5, a VVER 100 plant.
Both Ukraine and the Czech Republic operate VVER-440 plants and have expressed an interest in using Westinghouse-made fuel.
