Bato-Zhargal Zhambalnibuev, a member of the Commission of the Council of Federation for Natural Monopolies, member of the Committee of the Council of Federation for Natural resources and Environmental Protection:

 — I think that all this talking of diversification of nuclear fuel supplies carried on in recent years in Eastern European countries including Ukraine was provoked by political rather than economical considerations.

Temelin, the largest NPP in the Czech Republic, is starting to use Russian nuclear fuel. The operation of its first power unit will be stopped for two months in order to perform necessary engineering works. Then, this procedure will be carried out at the second power unit. TVEL LLC, a Russian company, will supply the nuclear fuel. It will be the sole fuel supplier for Czech and Slovak NPP. The Russian raw material appeared to have a higher quality than its analogue supplied by Westinghouse (USA). Moreover, its usage will allow reducing the expenses for operation of national NPP constructed with the assistance of the USSR, and then Russia. The contract for supply of the Russian fuel to Temelin NPP is supposed to be concluded for ten years with the option of its further prolongation. It is expected to supply about 400 tons of fuel is for ten years. At present, the Russian nuclear fuel provides for operation of the Czech Dukovany NPP and Slovak Yaslovske-Bogunitse and Mokhovtse NPP.

Bato-Zhargal Zhambalnibuev, a member of the Commission of the Council of Federation for Natural Monopolies, member of the Committee of the Council of Federation for Natural resources and Environmental Protection:

I think that all this talking of diversification of nuclear fuel supplies carried on in recent years in Eastern European countries including Ukraine was provoked by political rather than economical considerations. At that, as it usually happens in such cases, when economy is replaced with policy, the security matters paled into insignificance.

The situation with Czech Temelin is an excellent example in this respect. Westinghouse has achieved its goal concerning usage of its fuel assemblies at Temelin but it was not a success. This situation could be foreseen because the majority of NPPs in the territory of Eastern Europe was constructed exactly to get fuel from Russian “TVELs” which had proved their efficiency. And substitution of the Russian fuel with American one not only makes extra problems but is not safe enough. By the way, Bulgarian nuclear scientists who decided to resume usage of Russian TVEL products also noted this fact. I hope than the same conclusion will be reached by the Ukrainian specialists now deciding the question of candidates for future cooperation in the field of nuclear fuel supply to Ukrainian NPPs.

So now, I think, after the relative failure of Westinghouse at the European market the situation has come full-circle and now western and Russian manufacturers occupy the same positions as before. But I’m sure that competition at this market will go on and the Russian nuclear scientists shouldn’t relax in no case but, on the contrary, should proceed augmenting its technological potential in the future.