The Ukraine Nuclear Fuel Qualification Project (UNFQP) is a cooperative program with Ukraine to transfer technology and expertise in nuclear fuel design for Ukraine’s VVER-1000 reactors resulting from Ukraine’s cooperation with the U.S. Government’s efforts against nuclear proliferation. The technology transfer includes nuclear fuel design, reactor core design, fuel and core licensing, and fabricated assemblies. The majority of the technology transfer is to benefit the Center for Reactor Core Design (CRCD) located in Kharkiv, Ukraine. The UNFQP also qualifies an alternate supplier of nuclear fuel to Ukraine’s commercial reactors. Altogether, the UNFQP develops the infrastructure for a competitive nuclear fuel market in Ukraine. The Ukraine Ministry of Fuel and Energy (UMFE) oversees the implementation of the Project in Ukraine.

Assistance is being provided in the following areas:

• Performance-based training of Ukrainian specialists in nuclear fuel design, reactor core design, nuclear fuel safety analysis methodologies and licensing, nuclear fuel use, and project management.
• Establishment of the CRCD as the Ukraine organization responsible for advanced nuclear fuel design, reactor core design, and associated nuclear safety and licensing of nuclear fuel.
• Technology transfer of equipment, documentation, computer codes for reactor core design, nuclear fuel safety analysis and licensing, and nuclear fuel.

Center for Reactor Core Design (CRCD)

The CRCD was established within the Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology (KhIPT) Nuclear Fuel Cycle Complex, and was designated by the UMFE as the lead organization to receive the technical assistance. A new role has been created for the KhIPT which had as one of its former roles in the U.S.S.R. the development of nuclear reactors and weapons.

VVER-1000 Core Map

Technical training of the CRCD specialists was performed in the U.S. and was completed in June 2005. The specialists returned to Ukraine and are providing valuable support to project activities. State-of-the art commercial nuclear fuel design codes and supporting equipment were delivered to CRCD in October 2005. CRCD now performs important nuclear design calculations and evaluations in support of the UNFQP, the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant, and Ukraine’s utility organization, Energoatom.

CRCD’s next challenge will be to identify and perform the necessary nuclear fuel safety analysis to support the licensing and operation of a full reload batch of fuel assemblies scheduled for insertion in 2009.

Overall, the CRCD specialists are steadily improving their expertise in nuclear fuel design, reactor core design, nuclear fuel safety methodologies and licensing, nuclear fuel use, and project management.

Alternate Fuel Supply Capability

VVER-1000 Fuel Assembly

The UNFQP has engaged the services of Westinghouse to design a nuclear fuel assembly that is compatible for operation in a VVER-1000 reactor under a mixed-core environment.

The conduct of technical exchanges and the preparation of supporting documentation have been pursued with all Ukrainian participants in order to substantiate the final design and required safety reports. The result of tests and detailed engineering analyses for the new fuel design indicated that all reactor core operating and safety requirements were met.

The required regulatory review and approval process was conducted and permissions were obtained to allow the fuel to be inserted and operated in the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3.

Six nuclear fuel lead test assemblies (LTAs) were fabricated by Westinghouse and delivered to Ukraine in 2005. Upon the final technical and regulatory authorization to use the LTAs, they were successfully installed in the reactor during the plant’s normal refueling and maintenance outage during the summer of 2005. To facilitate the monitoring of the actual in-reactor performance of the LTAs, an upgraded reactor core monitoring system was also tested and installed. During each of the subsequent refueling outages the LTAs will be inspected to ensure that they are still fit for further use. The LTAs are scheduled to be in operation through 2009.

Planning activities are now underway to define scope and responsibilities for the next phase of the project. This phase entails the licensing efforts to substantiate a full complement of a one year reload of fuel for the South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3. Concurrent with this effort, fabrication of the 42 fuel assemblies will be made by Westinghouse for delivery in 2009.

Each year, CRCD and South Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant specialists will continue to monitor the operational performance of all the fuel assemblies. And each year, the required reactor core analyses will be performed to validate that each of the re-inserted fuel assemblies will operate within the established limits. With Ukraine providing the enriched nuclear fuel component of this reload batch of fuel assemblies, this last phase of the project will also transition the majority of the work to Ukraine. This will finalize the overall objectives of having given Ukraine state-of-the–art technical capabilities in fuel design and core performance, plus the assurance of second qualified supplier of nuclear fuel for their commercial nuclear power plants. The UNFQP is considered a cornerstone of Ukraine’s overall energy security plans, and provides the opportunity for a Western fuel manufacturing enterprise to technically compete in today’s global commercial nuclear fuel market.