Russia's nuclear fuel producer and supplier TVEL has completed a unique project to restore the second power unit at Hungary's sole nuclear power plant, TVEL's acting president said Monday.

A serious accident occurred at the second unit of the Paks NPP on April 10, 2003, when the fuel assemblies were washed and the unit shut down.

TVEL won a tender to remove the damaged fuel from the Paks NPP, which produced some 38% of Hungary's power in 2006.

"The contract for the removal of the damaged furl from the second unit of the Paks NPP was worth $5 million," Anton Badenkov said. "But this is not a commercial contract for us. Above all, it was implemented to allow the only Hungarian NPP to function normally."

He said the project helped Russia regain its positions on the world nuclear power market, and added that TVEL, which supplies nuclear fuel to 13 countries, intends to supply it to Paks as well.

SOURCE: RIA Novosti

DATE: Feb 13, 2007

Topics: Spent Fuel, Russia, East Europe, Hungary