Nuclear Reactors 385 - Russia Seriously Conflicted Over Nuclear Contracts With Ukraine
Yesterday, I blogged about a new Russian nuclear fuel called REMIX that is under development. Russia is working on contracts to build many new reactors around the world in the next few decades. They are also planning on being a major fuel supplier to the world's nuclear reactors in the coming decades. One of the legacies of the Soviet Union consists of nuclear power reactors in the countries of eastern Europe which were once members of the Soviet Union. Russia has been supplying these reactors with fuel since the fall of the Soviet Union. However, some problems have risen with respect to their fuel supply business with Ukaine.
Since pro-Russian government fell in Ukraine several years ago and the Russians annexed the Crimea, former arrangements between Russia and Ukraine have suffered. A week ago, Rosatom, the Russian owned nuclear company, announced that it was going to halt the removal of spent nuclear fuel from Ukrainian Soviet-era nuclear power reactors due to the failure of Ukraine to pay for the fuel removal services. Rosatom has a contract to remove and recycle Ukrainian spent nuclear fuel but the first scheduled removal was stopped. Ukraine has stated its intentions to build a storage facility for spent nuclear fuel inside Ukraine but they will not be recycling the fuel.
On the other hand, Rosatom had a contract to supply nuclear fuel to the Ukrainian nuclear power reactor fleet that predated the change of governments. Years ago, Ukraine tried to use Westinghouse nuclear fuel assemblies in place of Russian nuclear fuel in some of its reactors but there were technical problems and the attempt was abandoned. Now Ukraine has once again decided to use U.S. nuclear fuel from Westinghouse in its power reactors.
This week, the head of the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry's Department of Non-Proliferation and Arms Control expressed concerns with the Ukrainian decision. He stated that Ukraine's decision was a political one based on the recent tensions between the new government and Russia. He said that they were not taking technical and economic realities into consideration and that there would probably be technical problems caused by the new fuel. He claimed that the U.S. nuclear fuel assemblies were untested and that Ukraine was foolish to allow itself to be used as a testing ground for the new U.S. fuel. He also referenced the previous failed attempt to use Westinghouse nuclear fuel.
Ukraine is in the process of adapting some of its nuclear power reactors to be able to vary their production of power instead of always operating at full power as is now the practice. This is not a simple task to accomplish. The Russian Foreign Ministry official also commented that the combination of adapting Ukraine reactors to variable power production and the use of new and untested U.S. nuclear fuel would seriously increase the dangers of technical problems and accidents.
I do have to point out that it is ironic that during the same week, Russian spokesmen for nuclear related agencies and companies have criticized Ukraine for canceling nuclear fuel contracts and criticized Ukraine for failing to pay for contracted nuclear fuel services. If Ukraine can't pay its bills, perhaps it is just as well that Ukraine cancelled nuclear fuel purchases from Russia.
Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Building:
