KIEV, Sept. 18 – A decision on the further exploitation of Westinghouse fuel at reactor three of Yuzhnoukrainsk nuclear power plant will be made after the fuel is checked at the fuel assembly inspection and repair stand, said Mykhailo Hashev, the senior inspector of Ukraine's State Inspectorate for Nuclear Regulation.

He said that at present, during the scheduled maintenance the unloading of the fuel from reactor three of Yuzhnoukrainsk as only started.

"A technical decision on the structure of the next loading of fuel assemblies will be sent to the regulator when the fuel is loaded to the cooling down pond, the stand is installed, and when, in the presence of Westinghouse officials, a scientific adviser of KIPT [Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology] and representatives of National Nuclear Generating Company Energoatom and the State Inspectorate for Nuclear Regulation review and check all 163 assemblies," he said.