New Euratom project to help diversify nuclear fuel supply in EU and Ukraine

The Euratom Research and Training Programme launched a new Innovation Action this June called ‘SAVE’ aiming to diversify nuclear fuel supply and safeguard energy security and independence in both the EU and Ukraine.

The project has a €10 million budget in EU contribution, it is led by the nuclear power company Framatome (France and Germany) and gathers 17 partners from seven EU Member States and Ukraine. 

SAVE will contribute to the swift and secure development and deployment of a European fuel solution for the so-called water-water energetic reactor (VVER). These were originally developed in the Soviet Union and rely on Russian fuel.

There are more than 30 VVER nuclear reactors in Europe which operate on Russian supplies. These are located in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, Slovakia, and Ukraine.

“Research and innovation are essential for the strategic autonomy of the EU. Nuclear fuel is a case in point,” said Iliana Ivanova, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth. “The Euratom Research and Training Programme is providing crucial support to our industry in the quest for reliable alternative fuel for reactors in EU Member States and Ukraine that until now needed fuel from Russia to operate.”

More information on the SAVE project will soon be published on CORDIS.

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Press release

Euratom Research and Training Programme