KYIV. Sept 10 (Interfax-Ukraine, Energoreforma) – State nuclear operator Energoatom has highlighted the successful operation of VVER-440 reactor units running on Westinghouse Electric Sweden AB fuel since it was first loaded at the Rivne Nuclear Power Plant on Sept 10, 2023.
"Three years of successful operation have confirmed the high quality and safety of Westinghouse fuel assemblies in Ukrainian reactors. This is not just a technological solution, but an important step toward Ukraine's energy independence," Energoatom head Pavlo Kovtoniuk said, according to the company's statement on Telegram Thursday.
Ukraine was the first country operating this type of reactor to abandon Russian fuel assemblies, showing international partners that "dependence on the aggressor state can and must be overcome," Kovtoniuk said.
The decision has proven effective over three years, he stressed.
Energoatom is also expanding cooperation with leading global uranium mining companies and strengthening its own capacity to ensure fuel independence for Ukraine's nuclear power sector, according to the company.
As previously reported, Energoatom completely stopped purchasing Russian nuclear fuel in early March 2022, following Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and all Ukrainian nuclear power plants have since switched to Westinghouse fuel for VVER-1000 and VVER-440 reactors.
Energoatom operates three nuclear power plants in Ukrainian-controlled territory — the South Ukraine, Khmelnytsky and Rivne plants, with a combined capacity of 7.8 GW. Ukraine's largest nuclear plant, the 6 GW Zaporizhia plant, has been occupied by Russia since March 2022.
