US Westinghouse to supply nuclear fuel to Dukovany in Czechia from next year

US company Westinghouse will supply nuclear fuel to Dukovany from 2024. Until now, the Dukovany power plant has used fuel from Russian company TVEL, which is part of the Russian state-owned Rosatom holding. The Russian supplier has supplied Dukovany for almost 40 years, since the plant began operating. However, following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, the plant’s operator, the partly state-owned ČEZ, decided to replace the supplier for security reasons. ČEZ spokesperson Ladislav Kříž told the Czech News Agency (ČTK) today. ČEZ did not disclose the financial terms of the contract.

From next year, Westinghouse will also supply nuclear fuel to the Temelín power plant, together with French company Framatome.

Until now, it had been said that there was no alternative supplier capable of replacing Russian fuel for the type of reactor used at Dukovany. However, according to ČEZ, Westinghouse has recently accelerated development and, with Russian company TVEL ruled out, is the only company currently able to supply fuel assemblies for Dukovany.