January 3 (SeeNews) - Bulgaria's Kozloduy nuclear power plant (NPP) signed an agreement with France's Framatome for the supply of fresh nuclear fuel for its 1,000-megawatt Unit 6, completing the necessary steps to diversify away from current Russian supplier TVEL, the energy ministry said.
The agreement, signed on Friday, maps out the timeline for future negotiations and the signing of a contract for up to twelve nuclear fuel reloads for the period 2025-2034, the ministry said in a statement after the signing ceremony.
Framatome, controlled by French state-owned utility Electricite de France (EDF), produces cartridges with fresh nuclear fuel, which are equivalent to the cartridges used in Kozloduy's Unit 6. Framatome's fuel cartridges will be produced in plants in Europe.
A week earlier, Kozloduy NPP signed a supply contract with Westinghouse Electric Sweden for fresh nuclear fuel delivery for the plant's other operating 1,000-MW unit, Unit 5.
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