Westinghouse Electric Company and Enusa have announced that they intend to collaborate on VVER-440 fuel fabrication. Westinghouse said the partnership “will build on decades of performance delivering a Western alternative to Russian fuel in the European market”. There are currently 16 nuclear reactors in Europe operating with VVER-440 fuel.
Mariano Moreno, Enusa President and CEO, firmly believes that "this declaration of intent demonstrates our mutual commitment with energy security throughout Europe in an especially difficult context, as we build on our past successful experience supplying nuclear fuel to Loviisa nuclear power plant in Finland."
Tarik Choho, Westinghouse President of Nuclear Fuel, noted: “We have a mutual interest in partnering in VVER-440 fuel manufacturing and potentially other related areas. With our proven track record supplying for VVER reactors, we stand ready to support even greater energy security for our customers and European countries.
Westinghouse and ENUSA have partnered since 1974 under a Pressurised-Water Reactor fuel technology transfer agreement in support of nuclear plants in Spain, Belgium, and France among others. Through the Westinghouse-Enusa partnership, nearly 750 VVER-440 fuel assemblies were delivered to the Loviisa Nuclear Plant in Finland between 2002 and 2007. The companies also collaborated on the European Supply of Safe Nuclear Fuel (ESSANUF) HORIZON 2020 project from 2015 to 2017.
Image: Mariano Moreno, Enusa President & CEO (L) and Tarik Choho, President of Nuclear Fuel at Westinghouse (R) confirm the intention of Enusa and Westinghouse to collaborate on VVER-440 fuel fabrication (courtesy of Westinghouse)
