OREANDA-NEWS.  February 22, 2012. The Fuel Company of ROSATOM TVEL signed an agreement with Vattenfall Nuclear Fuel АВ (Sweden) for supply of test fuel assemblies TVS-K for Ringhals-3.

Developed by leading scientific and design organizations of ROSATOM, the fuel will be put in a western design PWR.

The contract includes qualification of fuel fabrication process of the producer (NCCP, Novosibirsk) and, specifically, supply of 4 or 8 pilot TVEL-made fuel assemblies to the Swedish operator.

The TVS-K design is based on many years of experience in development, fabrication and operation of nuclear fuel in VVER-1000 reactors of Russian design. In particular, the TVS-K design uses proven and shown good results design solutions of fuel assemblies for VVER-1000 reactors. They include design solutions on the skeleton and spacer which improve operational reliability of the fuel in PWRs. Russian advanced alloys based on zirconium are used as structural materials in TVS-K fuel.

If the project proves successful, the Russian producer will be able to enter the new and largest market of western design reactors and expand presence of Russia in the world market of nuclear fuel.