Ukraine’s state company Energoatom has signed an agreement with France’s Areva on enriched uranium supplies to Ukrainian nuclear power plants, the Energoatom press office said.
“A contract has been signed, which expands cooperation with a world leading nuclear technology company. This contract is a real step towards diversifying nuclear material supplies to Ukrainian nuclear power plants,” head of Energoatom,Yury Nedashkovsky, was quoted by Tass as saying.
The Ukrainian nuclear power plant operator said “Areva won a tender as it made a more attractive price offer and minimized contract risks.”
Ukraine previously worked solely with Russian companies for uranium enrichment for its nuclear power plants, including through participation in the international uranium enrichment center in Angarsk in Siberia.
Nuclear power occupies one of the most prominent places in the Ukrainian economy. Over recent years, having only 22.8% of the installed capacity, nuclear power plants during autumn and winter maximum loads generated about 53% of the country’s electricity. Currently there are 15 operating power units at four Ukrainian nuclear power plants.
The Zaporizhia nuclear plant with an installed generating capacity of 6,000 megawatt is the biggest energy facility in Ukraine and Europe. It generates about 50 percent of electricity produced by Ukraine’s nuclear plants and accounts for more than 22 percent of the aggregate electricity generation in the country.
