Yuzhnoukrainsk nuclear power plant (NPP) in December 2014 will receive a batch of upgraded fuel TWC-A made by Westinghouse, First Deputy Head of the State Inspectorate for Nuclear Regulation of Ukraine Mykhailo Hashev told reporters in Kyiv on Wednesday.

"On September 17, I signed three main documents: the positive findings on the Westinghouse fuel upgrade, the expert conclusion, and a permit on imports of the Westinghouse fuel. In December a batch will arrive at Yuzhnoukrainsk NPP, and in late December or early January it will be loaded into reactor one," he said.

Hashev added that today the State Inspectorate for Nuclear Regulation has finished working with all the required documents for the Westinghouse fuel.

President of National Nuclear Generating Company Energoatom Yuriy Nedashkovsky confirmed the plans for the loading of the Westinghouse fuel, and said that supplies of Russian fuel are in line with the schedule.

"If we speak about fuel from Russia, this year the delivery of 12 batches is planned. The ten batches were supplied according to schedule, and we expect that another two batches will arrive in November. We hope that there will be no force-majeure," he said.

As reported, in 2011-2012, problems appeared with the Westinghouse fuel assemblies loaded at Yuzhnoukrainsk NPP. In 2012, the nuclear watchdog decided to ban the further exploitation of the Westinghouse fuel assemblies.

As reported, Energoatom started realizing a project on the qualification of the nuclear fuel of Westinghouse in 2000.

In March 2008, Energoatom and Westinghouse Electric Sweden AB (Sweden) signed a commercial contract on supply of fresh nuclear fuel to three-six reactors of Ukrainian NPPs in 2011-2015.

In April 2014, Energoatom and Westinghouse agreed to prolong their current contract on the supply of nuclear fuel to Ukrainian NPPs until 2020.

The key supplier of nuclear fuel for Ukrainian NPPs is Russia's TVEL.