OREANDA-NEWS. July 21, 2009. Mashinostroitelny Zavod OJSC (Elemash), subsidiary of TVEL OSJC, has produced the first 12 industrial fuel assemblies and 6 TVS ARKs (gadolinium fuel) for Paks Nuclear Power Plant (Hungary).

The fuel will be loaded into the 4th reactor. In 2010 Paks NPP will start ordering such fuel for its other reactors and will gradually replace the “old” one.

The second generation of the WWER-440 fuel has been designed in Russia and is manufactured by Elemash for all consumers of the WWER-400 fuel (the nuclear power plants of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Finland (since late 2008)).

Deputy Head of the Technical Department of Elemash Vasily Kolosovsky says that the WWER-440 fuel of the second generation will enhance the efficiency and the safety of the consumer plants.

Paks NPP has been offered gadolinium fuel assemblies with higher fuel weight and burnup level. Elemash has improved the quality of its fuel by introducing new upgraded equipment. Today, Elemash is the world’s only producer of fuel for WWER-440-type reactors.

Presently, the company, jointly with several Russian research centers, is developing the WWER-440 fuel of the third generation. The new fuel will have even higher uranium burnup level and will not contain superfluous materials, such as zirconium tube. More uranium, less zirconium — better performance.

“This project requires highly coordinated work of all workshops and departments. Presently, we are drafting the design documentation. In order to effectively implement the project, we have developed special technologies, particularly, a new fuel assembly welding technique,” says Kolosovky.

In 2010 Elemash will fabricate 12 RK-3 WWER-440 fuel assemblies for Kola Nuclear Power Plant.