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Dhaka Friday,  Mar 29, 2024

Russian TVEL Enters European Market For Supply Nuclear Fuel

EB Desk

TVEL (Fuel Company of the Russian Atomic Corporation ROSATOM) and Swedish company Vattenfall Nuclear Fuel AB   signed a contract recently for  supply of TVS-K fuel for the Ringhals NPP in Sweden. The contract includes the delivery of the commercial reloads of nuclear fuel assemblies starting from the year 2021.

This contract epitomizes TVEL’s consistent efforts to enter global market as certified supplier of nuclear fuel not only to Russia-designed NPPs, but to NPPs of other designs, mainly US-designed PWR-type NPPs, such as Ringhals NPP and dozens others across the world. This is the first contract for commercial reloads of TVS-K. It opens the new opportunities for TVEL to broaden the geography of supplies and to enter other markets with the PWR fuel.

“We have been working in cooperation with Vattenfall since 2008. In 2011 the contract for the operation of several Russian lead fuel assemblies was signed. These fuel assemblies continue operating at the third unit of Ringhals NPP; the performance is within the normal design limits with no deviations. Our priority is the highest safety and reliability of the Russian nuclear fuel” – said the President of TVEL Yury Olenin after the contract signature.

The Managing Director of Vattenfall Nuclear Fuel AB Per-Olof Nestenborg highly praised the Russian fuel and the culture of its manufacture in the Russian facilities. He noted that using the Russian nuclear fuel Vattenfall AB would be able to increase the security of supply and to improve the economics of Ringhals NPP.

Earlier this year Russian and India initiated negotiations to supply the Russian-built Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) with newer generation TVS-2M fuel assembly, which offers increased uranium capacity, improved heat reliability and enhanced operational safety.

Earlier this year, Global Nuclear Fuel-Americas (GNF-A) and TVEL signed agreement to work together toward the licensing, marketing and fabrication of fuel for U.S. customers operating Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs). Under the agreement, GNF-A and TVEL will form a strategic alliance with the purpose of introducing lead use assemblies (LUAs) of the Russian TVS-K fuel design in the U.S. and seeking licensing approval from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission to supply the fuel in reload quantities.

TVEL JSC – nuclear fuel company of Rosatom – develops, manufactures and supplies nuclear fuel that meets the most stringent international reliability and safety requirements to both Russian and foreign nuclear power plants as well as research reactors and marine nuclear steam generating plants. TVEL is a major supplier of enrichment and conversion services in the world.

TVEL along with Russian company TENEX comprises 36% share of global market of uranium enrichment with the prospect of enlargement up to 40%.

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