Sweden issues license to Ukraine's Energoatom to supply nuclear fuel components

MOSCOW. July 7 (Interfax) - Swedish regulator SSM has granted an export license as part of a project to qualify Ukraine's Energoatom as a supplier of nuclear fuel components produced in Ukraine using Western technologies, Ukrainian media reported, citing the company's press service.

The production line is already operating at a facility belonging to a separate division of Energoatom, the press service said. The company plans to start the commercial production of shanks in 2023, while heads will be produced starting in 2024.

"By 2026, our company plans to create a line with full-cycle nuclear fuel production in order to provide ourselves with domestic nuclear fuel for 50% of our annual requirement," Energoatom President Petr Kotin was quoted by the press service as saying.

Energoatom reported in February 2022 that Westinghouse Electric Sweden AB had accredited a separate division of the Ukrainian company, the Atomenergomash plant, as a supplier of heads and shanks for fuel assemblies. Accreditation was preceded by an audit of Atomenergomash's integrated management system.

In March 2022, Energoatom, which operates all functioning nuclear power plants in Ukraine, completely abandoned the purchase of Russian nuclear fuel.