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The nuclear fuel envisaged for Belene NPP is of an advanced type with improved stability of the structure made of zirconium alloy. It has been developed taking into account the vast accumulated experience of high-quality production and safe operation of fuel for reactors of this type over the past 25 years.

Low-enriched uranium dioxide with an average enrichment of U235 of 4.361% is planned to be used for the fuel tablets, which allows optimal efficiency of the combustion process, reaching a large depth of combustion and minimizing the amount of spent fuel.

As a result, Belene NPP would use nuclear fuel more efficiently than second-generation water-water reactors. This will allow 25% less fuel to produce 20% more electricity. At the same time, the achieved high burnup leads to a reduction of 50% of the annual amount of spent nuclear fuel.