TVEL JSC has supplied to China a batch of Russian-made equipment for VVER fuel fabrication at Yibin plant (Sichuan province), an enterprise of China National Nuclear Corporation’s nuclear fuel division.
The consignment includes three installations for production of fuel rods, in particular, a welding complex, a rod geometry control system and VVER fuel rod lacquering equipment. All the installations are designed and manufactured by TVEL’s enterprises – Machine-building Plant (Elektrostal, Moscow region) and NCCP Engineering (Novosibirsk, West Siberia).
The equipment is supplied for modernization of the shop-floor for fabrication of Russian-design TVS-2M fuel assemblies for VVER-1000 reactors. Currently, there are four power units with such reactors in operation at Tianwan NPP in China’s Jiangsu province. Yibin plant started fabrication of VVER-1000 fuel under TVEL’s license in 2009. Since 2014, the facility has been manufacturing TVS-2M fuel assemblies instead of the earlier UTVS model.
“TVEL Fuel Company of Rosatom has been working systematically with the Chinese partners on the projects of nuclear fuel production in China. For the first time in our history, we helped to commence fabrication of Russian design nuclear fuel abroad and we still provide technological support of this facility at the most advanced level. Simultaneously with introduction of TVS-2M fuel at Tianwan NPP, we also localized its fabrication at Yibin plant. Today, we do not just supply this facility with Russian-made components of fuel assemblies, but also provide the equipment which would enable to enhance automation and quality of fuel manufacturing. This once again proves TVEL’s technological leadership”, commented Oleg Grigoriyev, Senior Vice President for Commerce and International Business at TVEL JSC.
TVEL Fuel Company of Rosatom incorporates enterprises for the fabrication of nuclear fuel, conversion and enrichment of uranium, production of gas centrifuges, as well as research and design organizations. It is the only supplier of nuclear fuel for Russian nuclear power plants. TVEL Fuel Company of Rosatom provides nuclear fuel for 76 power reactors in 15 countries worldwide, research reactors in eight countries, as well as transport reactors of the Russian nuclear fleet. Every sixth power reactor in the world operates on fuel manufactured by TVEL. www.tvel.ru
