French nuclear company Framatome and Slovak utility Slovenske Elektrarne have signed a major contract for the long-term supply of nuclear fuel for Russia-designed VVER nuclear power reactors at Bohunice and Mochovce from 2027.
The contract follows on from a memorandum of understanding signed by the two companies in May 2023 that set up the basis for discussions about the extension of long-term commercial relationship between the two companies in areas including nuclear operations and maintenance, nuclear fuel, safety instrumentation & control and cybersecurity.
Framatome said in a press statement that “the international context” has accelerated the need for a European fuel solution to avoid disruption to critical services and reduce dependency on imports from outside of Europe.
The company did not refer to Russia in the statement, but said utilities do not want to be dependent on a single supplier. It said diversification is key and is in line with the recommendations of the Euratom Security of Supply Agency.
“Securing a contract with one of the world’s leading nuclear fuel suppliers for our power plants is an important step in strengthening Slovakia’s energy security,” said Slovenske Elektrarne chairman and general director Branislav Strýček.
“Our nuclear power plants represent an important pillar in our country’s energy mix, therefore I consider it to be crucial to secure nuclear fuel supply diversification for their stable operation,” Strýček said.
In response to the accelerated need for alternative fuel supply for VVER reactors in the European Union, Framatome is fabricating fuel identical to the proven design currently used by the European VVER reactors.
In parallel, it is developing and qualifying European sovereign fuels of its own design for VVER-440 and VVER-1000 reactors.
Framatome recently received financial support of €10m ($10.7m) from the European Union to accelerate the development and delivery of a 100% sovereign European fuel for Russia-designed VVER reactors operated in Europe.
Background: Russian VVER Nuclear Plants In Europe
Slovakia has five commercial nuclear reactor units – three at Mochovce in southwest Slovakia and two at Bohunice in the west of the country – all of the Russia-designed VVER-440 pressurised water reactor type. Mochovce-4, also a VVER-440 plant, remains under construction.
According to Framatome, 19 VVER reactors are in operation in the European Union, including four VVER 1,000 MW reactors in Bulgaria and the Czech Republic, and fifteen VVER 440 MW reactors in the Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary and Slovakia.
Since the onset of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, operators of VVER plants in Europe have been looking to diversify nuclear fuel supplies away from Tvel, the fuel wing of Russia’s state-owned nuclear corporation Rosatom.
In June 2023 Slovakia and Framatome signed an agreement to cooperate on nuclear energy including working towards the development of a “100% European fuel design” for the EU’s VVER reactor fleet.
Similar deals have been signed by Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Finland with both Framatome and US-based Westinghouse Electric. Ukraine signed an exclusive fuel deal with Westinghouse for its entire fleet in June 2022.
In July 2023 a consortium led by Westinghouse was chosen by the EU in a separate agreement to develop and deliver a “secure, fully European” nuclear fuel supply to VVER plants.
