OREANDA-NEWS. April 11, 2011. An independent expert commission published results of a scientific analysis which confirm that the nuclear fuel supplied by Fuel Company TVEL to Kozloduy nuclear power plant is fabricated with the use of natural but not recycled uranium. The commission was set up by an order of the minister of economy, energy and tourism of Bulgaria in January 2011 to verify a statement made by Bulgarian physicist Georgi Kotev that recycled uranium had been used to fabricate TVSA fuel assemblies, which replaced TVS-M fuel in Kozloduy-5,6.

The commission included representatives from the nuclear technology and nuclear physics chair of the department of physics at Sofia University, Association of Physicists in Bulgaria, as well as specialists from Kozloduy.
According to the experts' report, the fuel was "produced by enrichment of natural uranium in accordance with the specification agreed upon by the Russian and Bulgarian parties." The FC TVEL clarified that fuel fabrication and the company's plants "is subject to certification against most stringent international standards in the field."

The company also noted that Kozloduy specialists have an opportunity to inspect the fuel fabrication process. In addition, the fuel is subjected to an incoming inspection before it is loaded into the reactor. Representatives of the FC TVEL confirmed that in future they will supply "high quality fuel and services to the energy sector of Bulgaria and Kozloduy NPP." The FC TVEL has supplied fuel to Kozloduy since 1985. The TVSA new generation fuel has supplied to Bulgaria commencing 2004.