OREANDA-NEWS. July 29, 2011. Reactors of Czech’s major nuclear power plant, the Temelin, have started using Russian nuclear fuel.

On Wednesday night, the second energy block received the first shipment of the nuclear fuel. “The supplies from TVEL have replaced fuel of the USA’s Westinghouse,” Temelin’s press secretary Marek Svitak said.

“We have practically finalised the transfer from the American to Russian fuel,” he said. “Within next three weeks the plant’s second block will have all necessary technical works done, and the first energy block of our plant started consuming Russian fuel last year already.”

Russia’s TVEL Company has become the only supplier of fuel for Czech and Slovak nuclear power plants. The fuel from Russia has proved to be better than analogous fuel from America’s Westinghouse Company. Its use will reduce expenses of the national nuclear power plants, which were built with support of the USSR and Russia.

The contract term for fuel supplies for Temelin is ten years, and it may be prolonged further. Over the ten-year period, the plant will receive about 400 tonnes of fuel.

Russia provides nuclear fuel for Czech’s Dukovany, and for Slovakia’s Yaslovcke-Bogunitse and Mokhovets power plants.