MOSCOW, March 17. /TASS/. Ukraine plans to start producing its own nuclear fuel for nuclear power plants to potentially replace Russian fuel, including on the European market, within three years, the press service of the country’s Energy Ministry said in a statement.

"Energoatom (Ukrainian company, operator of national NPPs - TASS) plans to create its own nuclear fuel production line within three years," according to the statement released on the ministry’s website. Ukraine has already started producing components for VVER-1000-type fuel assemblies, the ministry said, adding that the plan is to launch the production of assemblies for VVER-440 reactors. The project is being implemented by Energoatom in cooperation with the US’ Westinghouse Corporation, the press service noted.

In the future, Ukraine plans to supply nuclear fuel to European countries where NPPs with VVER-440-type reactors work, for which there are currently no analogues for Russian fuel, according to Ukrainian Energy Minister German Galushchenko.

After the coup in Ukraine in 2014, the new authorities announced plans to gradually abandon Russian fuel and shift to American fuel. The use of American fuel assemblies in the reactors of Ukrainian NPPs previously led to unscheduled shutdowns and lengthy repairs of power units.