NEW CONFIGURATION OF THE NUCLEAR MARKET FOR VVER. THE ENERGY SAFETY GROUP’S SUMMARY FROM ATTENDING WNE 2025

WNE 2025 was the event that outlined a new configuration of the nuclear market for countries with VVER reactors. Analysis of dozens of meetings, technical talks and presentations conducted by the Energy Safety Group team showed which technologies will shape the next decade – from diagnostic systems and safety equipment to digital control platforms and modern containment solutions. International manufacturers are increasingly active in offering solutions capable of working in a multi-vendor environment and replacing outdated russian systems.

After 2022, the issue of technological autonomy for VVER nuclear power plants has taken on a new dimension. It is no longer solely an economic or political issue, it has become primarily technical and safety-related, since for decades such plants have relied on russian equipment and components.

Today, the situation continues to change and there is no going back. The modernization of PWR keeps shifting the emphasis and moves from the spot replacement of individual components to the replacement of full-fledged systems from different manufacturers enabling integration into the overall architecture of the power unit.

This approach was clearly visible at WNE 2025. International companies tend to increasingly demonstrate not individual products, but complex technological solutions that can be integrated into the current VVER architecture, taking into account regulatory requirements and real operating experience in different countries. A good example is the Czech Republic, which was one of the first who completely abandoned russian suppliers for its VVER power units and built an up-to-date operating model based on Western technologies. Such changes mean:

• the possibility to completely abandon russian technologies;
• integration of Western solutions into holistic systems;
• raising security standards to the level of the EU and the USA;
• transition to a systemic approach to modernization, rather than single-point updates.

Accordingly, the companies that are able to manage solutions from many manufacturers coordinately, ensure their technical compatibility and compliance with VVER standards are gaining increasing importance. In this process, Energy Safety Group occupies a special place as a company that works not only with concepts, but also with their real integration for VVER-type power units. It is thanks to such a practical role that the Ukrainian-Czech engineering school becomes an important partner for global manufacturers who want to adapt their solutions to the requirements of reactors of this type at NPPs in Ukraine, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Armenia.

«WNE 2025 showed that the countries operating VVER are about to face a period of changes in system solutions. Modern technologies can completely replace Russian analogues, but the key task is to adapt them to the real conditions that reactors are operating in. Our focus is to integrate and harmonize solutions from different manufacturers to create a single safety and management system that meets international standards. That is exactly what forms a continuous cycle of safe operation of nuclear power plants,» said Vadym Ivanov, CEO of Energy Safety Group.

The first day of WNE 2025 for ES Group was packed with meetings that set the tone for all the work that followed in the next two days. The team held discussions with Framatome, Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Ahlberg Cameras AB, Curtiss-Wright Nuclear, INETEC, Tensor AB, Manometer Plant LLC, RPC Radii, as well as representatives of the Armenian NPP.

Despite the variety of directions, all negotiations were united by a common request – the integration of Western technologies into the operation of VVER NPPs, taking into account Ukrainian-Czech operating experience, namely:

• modernization of control and diagnostic systems;
• introduction of new nuclear fuel;
• application of new systems and tools for non-destructive control;
• rejection of Russian analogues where they critically limit further development.

The participants of the discussions confirmed that the market is currently moving towards complete technological openness, which creates conditions for an equal partnership between manufacturers and engineering teams.

«We are working to ensure that Western technologies that have proven their effectiveness can be implemented both in Ukrainian conditions and in any other, where VVER power units are operated, without their functionality and reliability lost. This is a complex process that involves not only the import of ready-made solutions, but also engineering integration and scientific and technical substantiation that take into account the features of the architecture of PWR power units, regulatory requirements, and real operating experience,» emphasized Oleksandr Mazurok, CTO Energy Safety Group.

The second day was all about manufacturers working in areas critical to PWR directions – turbine technologies, pumping equipment, drives, electromechanics, fire protection systems and radiation control. Negotiations were held with JSC «NNEGC «Energoatom», Association «Ukrainian Nuclear Forum», NGO «Ukrainian Nuclear Society», ANDRITZ AG and Doosan Škoda Power, AUMA, KSB Company, SERGI TRANSFORMER PROTECTOR, Státní ústav radiační ochrany, VUJE a.s., ZAT a.s., DEF, ELIN Motoren GmbH – A Voith Company.

The highlights of the meetings:

• compatibility of European and American equipment with VVER systems;
• modernization of outdated Soviet turbines and generators with an increase in their power;
• digital systems for diagnosing the condition of equipment, in particular reactor vessels;
• qualification of equipment manufactured in accordance with EU norms and standards, according to Ukrainian norms and standards, etc.

The integration of solutions from different manufacturers creates the foundation for sustainable, predictable and manageable modernization that will remain effective for decades to come. Moreover, it is precisely such technological approaches that determine the ability of the energy system to be independent of political or market fluctuations.

On the third day, the focus was on companies representing both technological solutions and institutional expertise – certification, materials science, design approaches, innovation and engineering education. Among the participants of the meetings were OAKRIDGE SAS, Walter Tosto S.p.A., ALVEL, Sweco, Fortum, MICo s.r.o., TÜV SÜD, Flowserve Corporation, Bertin Technologies, Anglo Belgian Corporation, European Nuclear Education Network (ENEN).

The following were the key directions that were discussed:

• manufacturing and classification of the main equipment of the nuclear island, in particular reactor vessels;
• international certification of the NPP components;
• inspection technologies and control of materials;
• implementation of the Western safety culture at PWR power units;
• development of educational programs and training of a new generation of engineers;
• advanced technologies for analytical work and substantiation of the safe operation of nuclear power plants in the world.

The issues of long-term technological partnerships have acquired particular importance – a format in which manufacturers and engineering companies interact not within the framework of a single contract, but as permanent technical partners. This approach allows, in addition to the implementation of individual solutions, to also ensure their maintenance, update and harmonization with other systems for years to come.

«For the modernization of VVER, it is fundamentally important that all parties are involved in the process – manufacturers and suppliers of technologies, engineering companies and operating organizations. At WNE 2025 once again it was evident that this approach is shared by our partners. Solutions are discussed not as individual components, but as part of an integrated system that should operate at the site for many years. This is the format of cooperation that allows us to introduce technologies adapted to PWR and ensure their effective operation», said Adam Bajer BDD Energy Safety Group.

The results of Energy Safety Group’s participation in WNE 2025 confirm that the VVER technology market is entering a phase of deep transformation, and the era of dependence on russian technology is coming to an end. International manufacturers are ready to adapt their solutions to the requirements of Soviet-type reactors, and the countries operating them are moving from single-point upgrades to systemic modernization based on the Western safety and management standards.

Now comes the time to form a new model of work, where safety, compatibility and long-term partnership determine the development of nuclear energy. In this process, the importance of companies capable of ensuring technical integration, harmonization of standards and practical compatibility of equipment from different manufacturers is growing. This is where ES Group comes with its core competence – the transformation of modern technologies into effective solutions for PWR in real conditions where NPPs operate, both today and in the future.

So the results of three days of work at WNE 2025 showed that the international nuclear community is ready for a broad partnership with engineering teams that have a deep understanding of PWR operation. The Ukrainian-Czech Engineering School demonstrates competitive advantages and this is evident from the interest of European, American and Asian partners. Within the framework of the exhibition, Energy Safety Group also expanded the range of contacts with South Korean manufacturers, who are now actively increasing their presence on the European market and offer solutions that can be integrated into multi-vendor VVER systems.

The visit of the ES Group team to the stand of the Republic of South Africa, which operates the Coberg NPP, deserves special attention. Despite the difference in technologies, the conversation once again proved that countries with different types of reactors face similar issues of modernization, increasing resilience and updating safety approaches. In such discussions, it becomes obvious that the approaches developed by Ukrainian-Czech engineers to the integration of modern solutions can have wider application where it is important to combine experience, engineering and a long-term vision of the development of nuclear facilities.