As demand for new nuclear power in Europe increases, the pressure for alternatives to Russian nuclear fuel for VVER reactors is also increasing, nuclear power executives said at a London conference.
The increased demand for advanced and small modular reactors across Europe over the next five to 10 years also points to the need for a new global strategy for diversified fuel supply from companies like Urenco, Westinghouse and Framatome, which have the potential to produce sufficient amounts of nuclear fuel for the European industry, according to their own estimates.
Debbie Breasley, director of government affairs at Urenco, said that “some companies self-sanction, but there is no fuel tender yet that specifically excludes Russia. Seeing more and more tenders that specify no Russian fuel might be the next step.”