Comment by the Information and Press Department on the situation around the use of Westinghouse nuclear fuel at Ukrainian nuclear power stations

Moscow has responded with alarm to the 30 December 2014 statement by Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk on the signing of an agreement with the company Westinghouse of the United States for the delivery of nuclear fuel to Ukrainian nuclear power stations. But for the following circumstances, it would probably be possible to keep silent about Kiev's insistent striving to diversify its deliveries so, as one may surmise, not to rely solely on Russian manufacturers.

For many years, Westinghouse has been trying to consolidate its positions on the nuclear fuel market for Soviet-made WWER-1000 water-cooled and water-moderated reactors.

In principle, efforts to enter new nuclear fuel markets do not contradict current practice. However, Westinghouse is behaving hastily and ignoring nuclear safety considerations. Experts in the nuclear power industry consider this situation unacceptable. Westinghouse fuel assemblies have repeatedly proven incompatible with WWER-1000 reactors. Attempts to use these fuel assemblies at the Temelin nuclear power station in the Czech Republic caused a serious incident there. The loading of this fuel at Ukrainian nuclear power plants has also caused a string of accidents. At this point, we can describe this effort as a large-scale experiment fraught with extremely serious accident potential.

One is particularly concerned about the fact that all of this is taking place against the backdrop of an unstable situation in Ukraine, when political bias prevails over nuclear safety considerations, and when the country has limited disaster relief potential.

At the same time, Ukrainian authorities cannot and should not have any reason to feel concerned about reliable nuclear fuel deliveries from Russia. The Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation ensures regular and uninterrupted fuel assembly deliveries for Ukrainian nuclear power stations.

In this situation, this dangerous experiment launched by Kiev threatens the safety and health of European citizens and nations. It appears that the lessons of Chernobyl have not taught the Kiev government how to use a responsible and scientific approach to using nuclear energy. Nuclear safety is being sacrificed in favour of political ambition, and maybe in favour of other "tangible" vested interests. Ukrainian leaders and the US fuel supplier will be held completely responsible for any accidents or incidents and their consequences.

30 December 2014