Canadian Cameco to supply Energoatom with uranium hexafluoride from Ukrainian uranium for all NPPs in country

KYIV. March 20 (Interfax-Ukraine) – President of the state enterprise Energoatom Petro Kotin and President and CEO of Canada’s Cameco Tim Gitzel have signed agreements on the use of Ukrainian uranium in production of nuclear fuel for all Ukrainian nuclear power plants (NPPs).

“According to the agreements, Energoatom will be fully provided with natural uranium hexafluoride during 2024-2035, which will be supplied for enrichment and further use in production of nuclear fuel. It is also planned to sell uranium produced at the Ukrainian Skhidny Mining to Canada,” the Ministry of Energy of Ukraine said on Monday.

As the ministry said, this is not the first experience of cooperation between the two companies. In 2019 and 2021 Cameco has already supplied uranium oxide concentrate for production of nuclear fuel for the needs of Ukrainian nuclear power plants.

“We already have a good experience of cooperation with Canadian partners and today we are deepening this cooperation. The conclusion of such strategic agreements is a matter of Ukraine’s national security,” Energy Minister Herman Haluschenko, quoted on the department’s website, said.

As he added, Ukraine was one of the first in the world to stop cooperation with Russia in the field of nuclear energy, in particular, in the supply of nuclear fuel.

“The nuclear industry is of strategic importance for Ukraine, and we are ready to develop and support our cooperation with Canada in this area,” the minister emphasized.