OREANDA-NEWS. TVEL Corporation and Paks nuclear power plant (Hungary) signed a contract to justify the use of upgraded nuclear fuel and improved fuel cycles.

The implementation of this contact will enable the plant to license the second generation fuel for VVER-440 reactors with the national regulatory authorities and shift to it within the five-year fuel campaign. This will reduce uranium consumption by 12% as well as shorten refueling time and decrease costs of spent nuclear fuel management. This will also significantly improve the plant’s economics, especially in the consideration of its shifting to uprated (to 108%) thermal power operation which is pursued by the plant at present.

After the fuel has been licensed, TVEL Corporation is to deliver the profiled uranium-gadolinium fuel of 4,2% uranium enrichment to the plant. The new generation fuel of VVER-440 reactors was first loaded in the core of Kola NPP in 2002. In May 2005 Dukovany NPP (Czech Republic) shifted to this fuel. At present, the fuel is used at Slovak Mohovce and Bohunice.

The fuel will be fabricated by JSC Mashinostroitelny Zavod in Elektrostal, Moscow Region.