Diversification of Nuclear Fuel Supplies at Finnish Loviisa Nuclear Power Plant
The Westinghouse Electric Company has delivered the first reload of VVER-440 fuel assemblies to the Loviisa Nuclear Power Plant. The loading of the new fuel is a key diversification milestone for Fortum operating organization prioritizing this direction for the past two years.
In November 2022, Westinghouse and Fortum signed a long-term partnership to develop, license and deliver VVER-440 fuel. The agreement builds on the successful collaboration supplying this type of fuel to Loviisa from 2001 to 2007, during which Westinghouse delivered nearly 750 VVER-440 fuel assemblies. The current enhanced Westinghouse VVER-440 and VVER-1000 fuel designs are also in operation at Ukraine and Bulgaria’s nuclear power plants.
It should be noted that Ukraine became the first among European countries which diversified the nuclear fuel supplies for VVER-440 and VVER-1000 type reactors.
During the annual maintenance in 2023, one experimental fuel rod manufactured by Westinghouse, which did not actually contain the uranium pellets, was loaded into Loviisa Unit 2. The experimental fuel rod was used to obtain the experience of the new fuel mechanical operation. This year it was found that the experimental fuel rod was operated as expected.
In February 2023, the Finnish government issued a new license for Loviisa nuclear power plant operation until the end of 2050. The contract with Westinghouse and the fresh fuel in stock will ensure Loviisa’s fuel supply until the plant life-time extension tender.