Ukrainian nuclear utility Energoatom has won approval from the local community or its plans to build a nuclear fuel fabrication plant near the city of Yuzhnoukrainsk (South Ukraine) following a day of public hearings. The facility will use Westinghouse technology for the assembling of nuclear fuel for VVER-1000 reactors, using ready-made components, some of which are already manufactured at Energoatom sites. Construction of the plant will result in the creation of about 110 jobs.
"Having received answers to the rest of the questions regarding ecology, financing, economic benefits and social preferences, the residents of the South Ukrainian community unanimously supported the construction of the Technological Complex," Energoatom said. The plant will be built by Atomproektengineering, part of Energoatom.
Ukraine operates seven VVER-1000 reactors, including three at South Ukraine NPP, as well as two at Rivne NPP and two at Khmelnitsky NPP. Rivne NPP also operates two VVER-440 reactors. The six VVER-1000 units at the Zapori zhia have been under Russian control since early March 2022. The Rivne nuclear power plant has two VVER-1000s and also two VVER-440 reactors.
Image: Plan of the nuclear fuel fabrication plant (courtesy of Energoatom)
