Having Started Using TVEL Fuel, 1st Unit of the Temelin NPP Reached Its Full-Capacity

All the NPP systems demonstrate stable operation and experimental measurements performed at the time of the NPP launch confirmed the design specifications of the Russian nuclear fuel. In 2006 TVEL OJSC won the tender for supply of fresh nuclear fuel for two power units of the Temelin NPP. Fuel fabricated by the Russian producer received a high appraisal for its safety, economic efficiency and operational parameters. The tender resulted in a contract between TVEL OJSC and the NPP operator - CEZ, a Czech energy company, whereby the Russian fuel would be supplied in the amount of ten fuel recharges for every power unit, starting from 2010. First it was expected that the TVEL fuel will gradually, during several years, replace the fuel supplied by a non-Russian producer. However, after having re-assessed the economic efficiency and safety of the TVEL fuel, CEZ decided to unload the fuel of the non-Russian producer before the scheduled date and load the Russian fuel into the reactor cores of its both power units. The second reactor will be fully supplied with the TVEL fuel starting from 2011. TVSA-T fuel produced by TVEL in August was loaded into the reactor core of the first power unit of the Temelin NPP in August 2010. In total 163 TVSA-T cassettes were loaded; this type of fuel is based on TVSA-ALFA fuel. Fuel assemblies produced specially for the Czech partners have improved operational reliability and resistance to deformations assured by a number of new engineering solutions (including the so-called stiffening angles, combined grid and anti-debris filter). The assemblies use uranium-gadolinium fuel that allows NPP operating in power cycling modes, i.e. changing reactor power. TVEL Fuel Company also supplies fuel for another Czech nuclear power plant – the Dukovany NPP.