Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant to use Russian fuel - Rosatom

Rosatom General Director Alexei Likhachev has said that the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) will use Russian fuel.

Until now several units of the plant used fuel from the U.S. company Westinghouse.

"Of course," Likhachev told Interfax, responding to a question as to whether there are plans to transfer these units to Russian fuel. He did not say when it is planned to do that. "It's a fully technological issue, not a political one," he said.

"We make the best fuel for a VVER reactor," Likhachev said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier tasked the government with creating a federal state unitary enterprise called Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant. According to the presidential decree, the federal state unitary enterprise is being created to ensure the security of the facilities of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant that use nuclear power.

The joint stock company Operating Organization of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant will operate the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant's facilities using its own resources or involving other organizations.

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant's facilities and other property needed for its operations will become federal property.

The Zaporizhzhia NPP is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. It operates six VVER-1000 power units. The plant is not generating electricity now, as its last operating reactor was shut down on September 11.

Fuel for four power units (1, 3, 4 and 5) of the plant was previously supplied by the U.S. company Westinghouse, which Ukraine's Energoatom had selected for diversification of fuel supply to its nuclear power plants. Fuel for two units was previously supplied by Russia's TVEL.

The Russian army has been in control of the nuclear facility since February 28, 2022.