Fuel Company "TVEL" (Rosatom) has produced the first batch of new shells of fuel elements (fuel elements) of the second generation at the Chepetsk Mechanical Plant (Glazov, Republic of Udmurtia), the press service of Rosatom reports. This type of fuel elements produced from sponge-based raw materials will be used from 2016 to supply fuel for Dukovany NPP (Czech Republic).

The new fuel rod claddings produced at the Chelyabinsk Chem Plant have been successfully tested and accepted by the commission.

"A great deal of work, which has been carried out for over a year, has been completed. JSC "CHMZ" successfully implemented new specifications for the full cycle of manufacture of rolled products from raw materials on sponge base, from ingot to the fuel rod shell - commented project manager of JSC "TVEL" Alexander Ugryumov. - Under the new conditions, increased requirements to the chemical composition of the alloy and mechanical properties of the shells have been implemented".

Fuel with increased uranium content and a thin shell of fuel rods while operating at the thermal capacity of the core of 1444 MW is being introduced at the units of the Czech nuclear power plant since 2014, the press service of Rosatom specifies. The CMPP plans to increase the production volume of fuel element casings made of sponge-based raw materials.

"Our Czech partners were the first to introduce fuel of higher uranium content and thinner fuel element cladding made of sponge-based feedstock into VVER-440 type reactors. Rosatom's fuel company TVEL is actively cooperating with Slovak, Hungarian and Finnish companies in terms of transition to implementation of this type of fuel rods using the experience of Dukovany NPP," said Alexander Ugryumov.