Plans Ukraine for the production of their own nuclear fuel for nuclear power plants are absurd and dangerous, experiments with it in Russian-type reactors in countries European Union invalid. This statement was made by the Hungarian expert on nuclear energy Zsolt Harfas, transmits “RIA News”.
Earlier, the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine announced the country’s plans, together with Westinghouse, to begin the production of nuclear fuel, which would replace Russian fuel on the European market. At the same time, the state does not have the necessary own capacities for the production of fuel assemblies.
According to Harfash, the fact that Ukraine intends to implement this project with a supposedly American, but in fact owned by two Canadian companies, Westinghouse, is not “too surprising.” He recalled that at one time American officials had been lobbying the interests of this organization in the Czech Republic for many years.
At the same time, the fuel elements supplied by Westinghouse were worse than the Russian ones, while they were more expensive compared to Russian fuel. In addition, the company’s fuel “often caused reactor failures” at the Temelin nuclear power plant. According to him, inappropriate thermal parameters and composition of the material deformed, distorted and damaged fuel assemblies under load, which jeopardized the country’s nuclear safety.
Against this background, Harfash believes that a similar situation could happen now, but already in Ukraine, and in the future in the EU countries.
