Hungarian Nuclear Power Plant to Operate on Russian Second-Generation Fuel

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RIA Novosti, PUBLISHED 02.10.2014

A reactor at the Paks Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in Hungary will begin operating on upgraded Russian nuclear fuel in early October, Russia's TVEL Fuel Company said Wednesday.

"From October 2014, the third unit of the Paks NPP will begin the transfer to 15-month fuel cycle operation, following earlier agreements for the supply of modernized second generation fuel between TVEL and MVM Hungarian Electricity Ltd," the company wrote in a statement.

The reactor is to be loaded with 12 modified fuel cassettes produced by JSC Mashinostroitelny Zavod in the city of Elektrostal.

Starting 2015, the power plant's units are to be gradually transferred from fuel with an enrichment level of 4.2 percent (U-235) to 4.7 percent.

Second-generation fuel has higher consumer properties and performance characteristics, and is successfully used in Russia, Slovakia, Finland and the Czech Republic.

Paks Nuclear Power Plant is Hungary's first and only nuclear power station and accounts for about half the country's energy production. The plant has four VVER-440 units and is owned and operated by the state-owned MVM Group.

In 1999, the power plant signed a contract with TVEL on the delivery of nuclear fuel, which is valid as long as its reactors are operating. After a service life extension, Paks' last unit is expected to be shut down in 2037. In 2013, the volume of fuel supplies to Paks amounted to 80 million euros ($101 million).

Topics: NFC, East Europe, Hungary

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