Sweden: AREVA to Supply Fuel Assemblies to the Ringhals Nuclear Power Plants 3 and 4

AREVA NP has signed a contract with Vattenfall Nuclear Fuel to supply fuel assemblies for the Ringhals 3 and 4* reactors beginning in 2019. Under the agreement, AREVA NP will deliver its latest GAIA fuel design for pressurized water reactors, which offers enhanced reliability and robustness as well as increased operational flexibility. Lead test assemblies of this design have already been operating in Ringhals 3 since 2012. They fully meet Vattenfall Nuclear Fuel’s requirements for safety and fuel quality.

“Vattenfall perceives GAIA to be a robust fuel design in combination with high performance well suited for our PWR reactors. We will be the first to use GAIA in reload scale, but we have scrutinized the design through our extensive process for qualification since several years. GAIA fulfills all our criteria for a modern PWR fuel design” says Per-Olof Nestenborg Managing Director of Vattenfall Nuclear Fuel AB.

“Our fuel assemblies have been successfully tested in Ringhals during the past years. This first contract for reloads shows the confidence of the customer in our product and proves the operational performance of the GAIA design”, says Klaus Al Usta, AREVA NP’s Customers, Sales, Contracts and Services Fuel SVP. The contract supports Vattenfall Nuclear Fuel’s long-term procurement strategy.

The fuel assemblies will be manufactured in Germany at AREVA NP’s Lingen site.

* At the Ringhals site, Vattenfall operates a four unit nuclear power plant. Ringhals 1 is a boiling water reactor with an installed net capacity of 865 megawatt. The remaining units are pressurized water reactors with an installed net capacity of 865 megawatt (unit 2), 1064 megawatt (unit 3) and 1130 megawatt (unit 4). The plant is located about 50 kilometers south of the Göteborg city on the Swedish West coast.