This year NNEGC “Energoatom” plans to start transportation of the first batches of spent nuclear fuel to the Centralized Spent Fuel Storage Facility (CSFSF). This was announced by the Company’s President Petr Kotin at the briefing, Interfax-Ukraine reports.

“We are in line with the schedule of export and prepare for such export. It will be carried out as needed by the nuclear power plants. All issues regarding nuclear power plants have been resolved. We will be exporting this year”, President of NNEGC Energoatom Petr Kotin was quoted by Interfax- Ukraine".

Also, Kotin noted that “Enegoatom” takes into account all the risks of transporting the spent fuel due to the martial law in the country.

“There is a state of war now, and transportation of the nuclear fuel through the territory of Ukraine is dangerous. We also take into account this additional factor and will transport it out as required, to make it safe. We will need to take it out, and we are doing everything to ensure safe export”, Kotin stressed.

In addition, it was reported at the briefing that NNEGC “Energoatom” plans to take out of repair the ninth power unit of the Ukraine-controlled NPP in early February. It has been in the scheduled repair since the beginning of January.

“Now we are rapidly reloading the fuel at one of the nine power units located on the territory under the control of Ukraine to connect it to the energy system as soon as possible. And this actually will take place at the beginning of February”, Kotin said.

According to him, the remaining 8 units of the nuclear power plants are now operating at the maximum possible capacity.

NNEGC “Energoatom” also assessed the damage caused to the Zaporizhzhya nuclear power plant during the russian occupation since March 4 last year. According to his estimation, this amount is about UAH 40 billion.

“The damage inflicted on the Zaporizhzhya NPP by russian occupants is estimated at more than 40 billion hrivnas. The losses are also calculated for other stations. The consequences of shelling, de-energization of stations - we take all this into account in order to charge russia later”, Kotin said.

We would like to remind that at the beginning of November this figure was UAH 28 billion.

Kotin also stressed that the actions of occupants have a negative impact on other nuclear power plants, in particular, on the South Ukraine NPP.

“We had a very bad situation right here at the SUNPP, when de-energization led to damage of the turbine generator shaft and bearing, which required very complicated repairs there. No one has ever done such a repair, especially in a short time. Our people did it in three weeks. I do not want to go into details, but they did the impossible”, Kotin described the situation.

He noted that “Energoatom” is trying to reduce the repair time to the maximum in order to connect power generation to the grid as soon as possible.