YUZHNOUKRAINSK, FEBRUARY, 27th, 2009, CONTEXT-PRICHERNOMORIE – Westinghouse will supply 42 fuel assemblies to Yuzhnoukrainsk Power Station, Context-Prichernomorie correspondent reports.

Department for mass media cooperation and PR of Yuzhnoukrainsk Power Station informed the agency about it today, 27 February.

According to the Chief of the Department for Nuclear Security, Vladimir Rostovskiy, for 25 years of the department’s existence nuclear fuel actively exploited in the active zones of Yuzhnoukrainsk reactors changed substantially, constantly changing its energy resource, it is becoming more reliable. Starting from 2005, Russian Concern TVEL has been supplying the station with fuel assemblies of new generation – fuel rods of alternative construction. Their improved characteristics provide shorter planned repair periods of the power units, increase fuel campaign. The use of new technological inventions allows not only to regulate the productivity but to increase the safety of the power unit as well.

Yuzhnoukrainsk Power Station is the only one in Ukraine where together with Russian the US fuel is also employed. 11 August, 2005, 6 test fuel assemblies made by Westinghouse were loaded into the active zone of the block No 3. The supply was carried out within the agreement signed in 2000. During the entire exploitation period there was no malfunctioning of these fuel assemblies. So in 2009 the second stage of the project comes into force. In compliance with it Westinghouse is to supply 42 fuel assemblies more.

INFORMATION: Westinghouse Electric Company was founded in the 19th century. Now the company provides fuel, services, technology, plant design, and equipment to utility and industrial customers in the worldwide commercial nuclear electric power industry.