Primarily due to the war in Ukraine, it is necessary to look for new possibilities for ensuring the safe supply of nuclear fuel for European operators of Russian-type reactors (Czechia, Slovakia, Finland, Hungary and Romania). Nuclear fuel is one of the key items in the operation of a nuclear power plant, and it is necessary to always have each type of fuel assemblies experimentally and computationally verified so that it can be safely transported and operated in a nuclear reactor.
Although the general requirements for the evaluation of nuclear fuel are defined by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the application of these requirements varies in the legislative environment of different countries. Thus, experts from our Department for Reactor Physics and Safety Analysis contacted the regulatory authorities of the countries concerned and discussed with them the common licensing requirements for nuclear fuel. The result of this is a new document in English (Common positions on licensing requirements for the new VVER fuel supplies), from which it will be clear for new suppliers what requirements must be met when supplying a new type of nuclear fuel in all mentioned countries. When creating the document, emphasis was placed on conciseness and the presentation of a complete set of requirements, which may still differ to the required extent within individual countries.