Slovakia has signed an agreement with the Swiss branch of the American company Westinghouse to supply nuclear fuel for its nuclear power plants. The country is also looking for another source in France. This will allow Slovakia to get rid of its dependence on fuel from Russia.
According to Ukrinform, Euractiv reported this.
“Securing another supplier of nuclear fuel for our power plants is an important step towards strengthening Slovakia’s energy security,” Branislav Strýček, CEO of Slovenské elektrárne, said.
Almost 60% of the energy produced by Slovakia comes from nuclear power plants that receive exclusively Russian nuclear fuel.
However, after an agreement is signed between Slovenské elektrárne and the Swiss branch of the American company Westinghouse to provide the only fully Western alternative for energy supplies, Slovakia will be able to refuse nuclear fuel from Russia.
The new fuel must first be approved for use in Slovak nuclear reactors. If the results are positive, nuclear fuel from the alternative country will be delivered to Slovakia within a year.
Slovenské elektrárne is seeking to attract at least one additional energy fuel supplier. In May, the company signed a memorandum of cooperation with the French company Framatom, pointing to another potential source, the article says.
The agreement between the Slovak and American companies was concluded as part of the EU’s efforts to end its dependence on Russian energy.
As reported, Prime Minister of Moldova Dorin Recean announced Moldova’s complete rejection of Russian gas.
source ukrinform