Ukraine applies for OECD Nuclear Energy Agency membership, energy minister says
Ukraine is submitting an application for membership in the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) of the OECD, Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal announced at the Ministerial Conference "Roadmaps to New Nuclear 2026" in Paris. He framed the move as one of the steps toward Ukraine's full OECD membership and outlined plans to localize nuclear fuel production and expand electricity exports to Europe.
Key points
- Ukraine is applying for membership in the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA).
- The application was announced by Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal at the "Roadmaps to New Nuclear 2026" conference in Paris on 17 September 2026.
- Shmyhal said joining the NEA is intended as a step toward Ukraine's full OECD membership.
- Ukraine was the first country to switch its reactors to American Westinghouse nuclear fuel and has launched domestic production of components for Westinghouse fuel assemblies for VVER-1000 reactors.
- Ukraine aims to cover at least 30% of its VVER reactor fleet needs with domestic production and localize up to 100% of fuel assemblies for VVER-1000 reactors.
- Ukraine plans to increase cross-border electricity transmission capacity with Europe from 2.4 GW to 4.5 GW.
- Shmyhal said Ukraine can become a key exporter of clean electricity to Europe.
Why it matters
The application advances Ukraine's stated goal of full OECD membership and deeper integration with Western institutions. It also sits alongside Ukraine's effort to diversify and localize its nuclear fuel supply away from Russia, with domestic production of Westinghouse fuel assembly components for VVER-1000 reactors now underway. The plan to raise cross-border transmission capacity with Europe from 2.4 GW to 4.5 GW underpins Ukraine's ambition to become a key exporter of clean electricity to the continent.
What happened
At the Ministerial Conference "Roadmaps to New Nuclear 2026" in Paris, Ukrainian Energy Minister Denys Shmyhal announced that Ukraine is submitting an application for membership in the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), an intergovernmental body within the OECD system. He said joining the NEA is one of the steps toward Ukraine's full OECD membership. Shmyhal noted that Ukraine was the first country to switch its reactors to American Westinghouse nuclear fuel and that Ukraine has launched domestic production of components for Westinghouse fuel assemblies for VVER-1000 reactors, with a strategic goal of building full nuclear fuel assembly capacity in Ukraine. He set out targets of covering at least 30% of VVER fleet needs with domestic production and localizing up to 100% of fuel assemblies for VVER-1000 reactors, and said Ukraine's partnerships with Canada's Cameco on uranium supply and Britain's Urenco on enrichment secure its supply chains. He also said Ukraine plans to raise cross-border electricity transmission capacity with Europe from 2.4 GW to 4.5 GW, positioning Ukraine as a potential key exporter of clean electricity, and called for investment in training engineers, builders and scientists for the sector.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
Both Ukrainian sources centre the announcement by Denys Shmyhal and frame NEA accession explicitly as one of the steps toward full OECD membership. Coverage emphasizes the wartime context — Ukraine's unique experience in ensuring nuclear and radiation safety under full-scale war — and its pioneering switch to Westinghouse fuel. Sources also highlight Ukraine's domestic industrial ambition: local production of fuel assembly components, a stated 30% self-sufficiency target for VVER needs, and up to 100% localization for VVER-1000 fuel assemblies.
Background
The NEA is an intergovernmental body operating within the OECD system. Ukraine was the first country to switch its reactors to American Westinghouse nuclear fuel and secures its nuclear fuel supply chains through long-term partnerships with Canada's Cameco (uranium) and Britain's Urenco (enrichment). The NEA suspended cooperation with Russia in April 2022.