The first batch of Ukrainian uranium mined at the Eastern Mining and Processing Plant (EastMPP) was shipped to Canada, where it will be used at CAMECO’s facilities to produce nuclear fuel for the needs of Ukrainian domestic nuclear power plants, Energoatom CEO Petro Kotin reported.
The agreement requires that all the uranium produced by the state-owned EastMPP be exported to Canada for further conversion and supply of natural uranium hexafluoride (UF6) for enrichment.
Uranium hexafluoride is a chemical compound of uranium that is used as a starting material in the production of fuel for nuclear reactors.
“Such a process is necessary to prepare for sending it for enrichment to our other strategic partners, URENCO (UK), and then to Westinghouse for nuclear fuel production. These processes of nuclear material processing are not yet available in Ukraine. But we are working to create the appropriate capacities,” Kotin said.
In March, Energoatom signed a multi-year contract with CAMECO Corp. to supply uranium hexafluoride to produce nuclear fuel for Ukrainian nuclear power plants.
As part of the agreement, Cameco will fully meet Energoatom’s needs for natural uranium hexafluoride in 2024-2035 by providing uranium conversion services for the reactors of Rivne, Khmelnytsky,i and Pivdennoukrainsk NPPs. The same opportunity is envisaged for Zaporizhzhia NPP after its liberation from Russian occupation.
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