The European Union, through its Euratom Research and Training Programme, has granted €10 million (USD 10.7 million) to Framatome, a French nuclear energy company.
This funding aims to accelerate the “swift and secure development and deployment of a European fuel solution” for VVER reactors, bolstering energy security and mitigating risks in the fuel supply chain.
The SAVE Project: A Collaborative Effort
The SAVE (Safe and Alternative VVER European) project, led by Framatome, brings together 17 stakeholders, including European utility companies that operate VVER reactors.
Key participants include ČEZ from the Czech Republic, Fortum from Finland, MVM Paks from Hungary, and Slovenské Electrárne from Slovakia. This collaborative initiative seeks to establish a 100% sovereign European technology for VVER fuel.
VVER Reactors in the EU
Currently, 19 VVER reactors, originally developed in the Soviet Union and historically reliant on Russian fuel, are operating within the European Union. This includes four VVER-1000 reactors in Bulgaria and the Czech Republic, and 15 VVER-440 reactors across the Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, and Slovakia.
The SAVE project aims to reduce this dependency on Russian fuel sources.
Lionel Gaiffe, senior executive vice president of Framatome’s Fuel Business Unit, emphasized the company’s unique capability to provide a fully European fuel solution. This includes a European design and product, as well as manufacturing facilities and a fuel component supply chain located and operated entirely within the EU.
EU’s Focus on Research and Innovation
EU Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, Iliana Ivanova, highlighted the importance of research and innovation for the EU’s strategic autonomy. She stated that the Euratom Research and Training Programme is instrumental in supporting industry efforts to find reliable alternative fuel sources for reactors in EU Member States and Ukraine, which have historically relied on Russian fuel.
Complementary Initiatives
The SAVE project complements the Westinghouse-led APIS (Accelerated Program for Implementation of Secure VVER Fuel Supply) project, launched in July 2023. APIS focuses on developing secure fuel designs for VVER-440 reactors and next-generation fuel designs for VVER-1000 reactors. Both projects contribute to the EU’s goal of diversifying fuel supply for its VVER reactors, including those in Ukraine, to reduce reliance on Russian sources.