tech
A Blow Where They Are Strongest
In the first phase of the project, European companies intend to design VERA-440 nuclear fuel and a transport container.
TL;DR
- Framatome, along with Fortum (Finland), ČEZ (Czech Republic), MVM Paks (Hungary), and Slovenské elektrárne (Slovakia), signed an agreement to develop European nuclear fuel for Russian VVER reactors.
- The first phase involves designing the VERA-440 nuclear fuel and a transport container.
- Fuel assembly production is planned for Framatome's facilities in France and Germany, starting in 2028.
- Regular fuel deliveries to European nuclear power plants are scheduled for the early 2030s.
- The VVER is a Soviet-developed pressurized water reactor that uses Russian nuclear fuel.
- There are 19 VVER reactors currently operating in the EU, with 15 located in the Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, and Slovakia.
- Finnish company Fortum began using American nuclear fuel in 2024 but still sources some from Russia under existing contracts.