The first batch of nuclear fuel from the US-based Westinghouse Electric Corp was delivered to the largest Ukrainian Zaporizhia Nuclear Power Station, the plant's press service said on Monday.

The fuel has already been loaded in two power units of the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) as part of a plan to diversify Ukrainian imports away from Russia.

"The first batch of nuclear fuel from the Westinghouse company has been delivered to the Zaporizhia NPP as part of the nuclear fuel diversification program for Ukrainian NPPs developed by the [Ukrainian energy company] Energoatom," the press statement reads.

According to the plant, the delivered fuel was produced in Sweden. The fuel is expected to be loaded in the "pilot" fifth power unit of the Zaporizhia plant in May, the first, third and fourth units will follow if the load is successful.

In 2014, Kiev agreed with the US-based Westinghouse Electric Corp to buy US nuclear fuel for some of its nuclear reactors through 2020.

Ukraine depends on nuclear energy for about half of its electricity supplies. Most of the fuel for its power plants is imported from Russia.

earlier report
Ukraine to Terminate Deal With Russia on Nuclear Fuel Plant Construction
Kiev (Sputnik) - In 2011, Russian fuel production holding company TVEL, part of the state corporation Rosatom, and Ukrainian company Nuclear Fuel signed an agreement for a 50-50 venture to build a fuel plant at Smolino in Ukraine's central Kirovohrad Region. Construction had been slated to begin in 2014. Preliminary expenses are estimated at some $460 million.

Ukraine is planning to terminate a construction agreement for a nuclear fuel production facility to be built with Russia, Ukrainian Energy Minister Volodymyr Demchishin said Tuesday.

"The agreement has not yet been terminated, but we will cancel it, as they [TVEL] do not comply with their obligations, either," Demchishin told reporters.

In July, TVEL declared its readiness to implement the project on constructing the nuclear fuel plant and said relevant proposals from the Ukrainian side were expected, as the Ukrainian Cabinet had reportedly neither approved construction documents nor implemented financing for the project.

The Russian side said it had fully fulfilled the obligations related to the project in a timely manner.

The contract termination comes amid strained Russia-Ukraine relations, as Kiev, along with its Western allies, refuses to recognize the legitimacy of Crimea's reunification with Russia, and blames Moscow for an alleged involvement in the Ukraine crisis. Russia has denied the claims.

As Russia-Ukraine relations soured, Kiev turned to US nuclear fuel makers for some of its power plants.

Source: Sputnik News