US-based Westinghouse Electric Company has delivered its first batch of nuclear fuel assemblies to the Czech Republic’s Temelín nuclear power station since 2010, marking a significant step in the country’s efforts to reduce reliance on Russian energy supplies.

The announcement was made on social media by Daniel Benes, chief executive of Czech state-controlled utility ČEZ, owner of Temelín.

The delivery of 36 fuel assemblies is part of a broader strategy by Czech state utility ČEZ to diversify nuclear fuel sources. Westinghouse replaces Russia’s state-owned Tvel as the supplier for Temelín, one of two nuclear power stations in the country.