CHENNAI: Russia's nuclear fuel company TVEL Fuel Company has signed a supplement agreement with Nuclear Power Corporation of India to introduce TVS-2M nuclear fuel which has increased uranium capacity, according to Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation (Rosatom).
This will result in elongation of the fuel cycle from 12 to 18 months for the operating VVER-1000 reactors in Tamil Nadu's Kudankulam.
Compared to the UTVS fuel model, which is currently supplied to Kudankulam nuclear power planr, TVS-2M fuel assemblies have a number of advantages making them more reliable and cost-effective. According to a release one TVS-2M assembly contains 7.6 per cent more fuel material as compared to UTVS.
“The efficiency is achieved due to the increased uranium content in a fuel bundle, reducing the amount of spent nuclear fuel and increasing duration of the fuel campaign from three to four and a half years,” said Natalia Nikipelova, president of TVEL JSC said in the statement released by Rosatom.
"Due to welded frame, the fuel assemblies in the reactor core retain their geometry, the spacer grids protect fuel rod cladding from depressurization and the additional spacer grid makes fuel assemblies more vibration-resistant," the release stated
This comes as TVEL Fuel Company successfully implemented similar projects of replacement UTVS with TVS-2M fuel and an extension of the fuel cycle from 12 to 18 months at Tianwan Nuclear Power Project in China, the release stated.