Russia is ready to use US-supplied nuclear fuel stored at the Zaporizhzhia NPP in Ukraine, or to drain it completely and return it to the US side, a Russian nuclear energy official said today, quoted by Reuters, BTA reports.
The head of the Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom, Alexei Likhachev, said that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) could act as a mediator to resolve the problem.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said on television after a meeting with Likhachev that his agency is ready for a mediating role.
Likhachev noted that From a technical point of view, the situation at the Zaporizhzhia NPP remains stable and manageable, but it is becoming more acute from a military point of view, especially in the last few days, when the nuclear power plant and the adjacent city of Energodar have been subjected to shelling by the armed forces of Ukraine, TASS noted.
"There is one important point - we have spoken about it more than once - this is the issue of American fuel, from the company "Westinghouse". During today's consultations, we discussed this topic with the IAEA leadership. I asked Mr. Grossi whether he would become a mediator for resolving this problem in contact with the American side - both with the company itself and with the state authorities, in their capacity as nuclear supervisors. I thank the IAEA Director General for the positive response. I very much hope that we will find a solution in direct communication with the fuel manufacturer and determine its further fate," said the head of Rosatom, quoted by TASS.
Likhachev pointed out that in four of the six units of the Zaporozhye NPP, American fuel is loaded into the core, there is one set in the fresh fuel storage, and "a fairly large number of cartridges are in the spent fuel pools".
"We have already been informed of the concerns of the American side - both in the face of the manufacturing company and in the face of the Ministry of Energy - regarding the need to coordinate preventive actions," he said.