Energoatom proposes that radioactive waste from spent nuclear fuel be left in Russia after processing

KYIV. April 14 (Interfax-Ukraine) - The National Nuclear Energy Generating Company of Ukraine (Energoatom) may not bring back to Ukraine the nuclear waste glass from the spent fuel of Ukrainian nuclear power plants processed in Russia, Energoatom CEO Petro Kotyn said.

"There is a question of bringing back the nuclear waste glass from Russia. They are saying the contract requires that we take back what's left of processed spent nuclear fuel, this dirty glass, starting from 2024. But we will probably resolve this issue in such a way that it remains in Russia," Kotyn said.

"Let them keep the waste. That would be a form of compensation," he said.

For years, spent fuel of Ukrainian nuclear plants was sent to Russia for processing, and Ukraine was due to take back and store non-recyclable waste, Kotyn said.

As reported earlier, Ukraine stopped sending spent nuclear fuel to Russia for processing in 2021, as it expected the commissioning of a central storage facility for spent nuclear fuel to save about $200 million a year. The State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management is due to build special storage facilities in the Exclusion Zone for storing highly radioactive waste from spent nuclear fuel processed since 2017.