Russia to build fast reactor fuel plant in 2018

Russia plans to start construction next year of a nuclear fuel fabrication facility for its lead-cooled fast-neutron Brest-OD-300 reactor, Siberian Chemical Combine (SCC) said on 27 December. Based in Tomsk, Siberia, SCC is a subsidiary of TVEL, the nuclear fuel manufacturing unit of state nuclear corporation Rosatom.

BREST-OD-300 is part of Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom's 'Proryv', or Breakthrough, project to enable a closed nuclear fuel cycle. The ultimate aim is to eliminate production of radioactive waste from nuclear power generation. The Breakthrough project comprises a fuel production/refabrication module for production of dense uranium plutonium (nitride) fuel for fast reactors; a nuclear power plant with a BREST reactor; and a used fuel retreatment module. A nuclear power plant with BREST-OD-300 is to be part of a pilot energy complex, or ODEK, under construction at SCC's site.

Alexander Rodovikov, director of fuel fabrication at SCC, said the company has taken deliveryof the equipment for the fabrication of fuel assemblies for Brest-OD-300.

"The equipment is intended for the step-by-step control of the loading of fuel rods, assemblies and components," Rodovikov said. It includes a video surveillance and recording system, he added.

In August last year, the Russian government approved the construction of the 300 MWe reactor, a nuclear fuel fabrication facility and a used fuel reprocessing facility.

Researched and written
by World Nuclear News