The proposal to transfer Ukrainian nuclear power plants to Westinghouse will bring the elimination of Ukrainian nuclear energy closer, noted in conversation with ABF "Economics today» Deputy Institute of National Energy Alexander Frolov.
Acting Head of the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine Yuriy Vitrenko, widely known for his activities at Naftogaz, He stated, that Kyiv should replace Russian TVEL with American nuclear fuel.
Vitrenko lobbies for Westinghouse interests
TVEL or fuel element is the basis for the operation of reactors, in which a controlled chain reaction takes place. You can draw an analogy with firewood, feeding a nuclear reactor and allowing it to release energy.
Four nuclear power plants operate in Ukraine: Zaporizhzhya, Rivne, Khmelnitsky and South Ukrainian. On them stands 13 VVER-1000 reactors and 2 VVER-440 reactor. The fuel for them is Russian TVEL, but Westinghouse has been trying to intercept this direction for a long time.
After the collapse of the USSR and the Socialist bloc, the Americans from Westinghouse entered the nuclear fuel market for Soviet-designed nuclear power plants., why did they develop their own version of TVEL. From RBMK type reactors, exploded at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, the EU refused, but VVER-type reactors were recognized as safe there. Nuclear power plants of this type exist in Finland and in Eastern Europe.
American nuclear scientists set a goal to squeeze the Russian Federation out of the European market, but it didn't happen. An experiment at the Loviisa nuclear power plant in Finland turned out to be indicative, where Westinghouse fuel was first used, which turned out to be much worse than Russian TVEL, as a result, the Finns returned to the purchase of TVELs from Rosatom.
Westinghouse was brought to Ukraine for the first time under President Viktor Yushchenko. AT 2008 the third power unit of the South Ukrainian NPP was loaded with American nuclear fuel TBC-W, but it caused technological changes in the power plant.
AT 2016 already under Petro Poroshenko, Westinghouse fuel was loaded into the fifth power unit of the Zaporozhye NPP, however, it did not come to its application at all power units of Ukraine. Reasonable people found in Kyiv, who were not allowed to take such a risk.
VVER reactors are very reliable, the risk of a thermal explosion as at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is practically excluded in them, but the use of American fuel will definitely reduce the resource of Ukrainian power units, who are not in the best condition without it.
Ukraine today faces the task of partial replacement and partial extension of the life of most power units. If you do not, then Ukraine automatically loses nuclear energy, and that 40-50% country's power generation.
Absurdity triumphs in Ukraine
"In the coming 15 years Ukraine will lose most of its nuclear reactors: it means, that Kyiv will lose this type of energy. And against this background, to talk not about the construction of new nuclear power plants, not about finding funds for the inevitable conservation and subsequent dismantling of still operating power units, at least, weird", – states Frolov.
And even more so to talk about replacing Russian nuclear fuel with Westinghouse products.
“I have never encountered such a degree of stupidity. Even in modern Ukrainian history it is impossible to find a suitable example, which would be equal in bungling and senselessness to this proposal by Vitrenko", – Frolov concludes.
closure, conservation and dismantling of nuclear reactors are factors, which Ukraine cannot avoid.
In the last two decades of the existence of the USSR, five nuclear power plants were built in this republic (Chernobyl was shut down 15 December 2000 of the year). They are the basis of the Ukrainian economy, but everything comes to an end, even such objects do not run indefinitely.
“If we abstract and go to the conditional reality of the future of the thirties of the XX century, where Ukraine has kept nuclear reactors, the question arises, where will Ukrainians dispose of spent fuel?, – Frolov sums up.
The Russian side provides Ukraine with a relevant service under the contract for the supply of TVEL, Westinghouse doesn't offer that., but only sells fuel, so Vitrenko needs to indicate the answer to this question.
“In Ukraine, a repository for spent nuclear fuel is being built near Kyiv. May be, Ukrainians imagine themselves in the future as a small and proud storehouse of this valuable resource?», – states Frolov.
It's just not clear, what are they going to do with their nuclear power, whose resource is running out.
“All this can be compared with the situation, when the car broke down and needs to be replaced, and the owner instead, to take her at least to the repair begins to argue, what is the best refill to use. Before us is a complete disregard for reality. Instead of solving the problems facing the country, the Ukrainian Ministry of Energy speaks with slogans ", – Frolov sums up.
Over the past seven years, according to Frolov, we did not see a single solution in Ukraine, benefiting the country and creating conditions for development there. This cannot be said for any sector of the Ukrainian economy..
“Nothing has been done in Ukraine. "Water is wet", "Volga flows into the Caspian Sea", "and let's replace TVEL with Westinghouse. To replace, but this will not solve the problems of Ukrainian nuclear energy”, – Frolov concludes.
Dmitry Sikorski
