site.btaOutside Experts Contracted to Analyze New-Type Nuclear Fuel for Kozloduy N-Plant Unit 5

Bulgaria's Nuclear Regulatory Agency (NRA) has signed contracts with the French Institute of Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN) and with a Czech-Ukrainian consortium on an expert assessment of selected safety analysis reports for the licensing of Robust Westinghouse Fuel Assembly (RWFA) for Unit 5 of the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant, the NRA said on Thursday.

IRSN will carry out an expert assessment of 20 reports covering safety analyses of the entire life cycle of the fuel: RWFA mechanical, hydraulic and thermo-mechanical design, analysis of the behaviour of the fuel when accidents occur, and nuclear safety when the nuclear fuel is transported and stored.

The Czech-Ukrainian consortium will expertize the report on the compatibility of the new nuclear fuel with the Unit 5 intra-reactor control system. The consortium consists of ES Group Europe s.r.o. of Czechia, the State Scientific and Technical Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety of Ukraine, and the Energy Safety Group company of Ukraine.

The NRA will use the results of the expert assessments in the process of making a regulatory decision on licensing the new type of nuclear fuel for Kozloduy Unit 5, the press release said.

At the end of last year, the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant and Westinghouse Electric Sweden AB signed a contract for the supply of fresh nuclear fuel for the plant's Unit 5. The Westinghouse fuel is expected to be loaded into the reactor in mid-2024, after the fuel is fully licensed before the end of this year.