News
16.12.2024
Fuel. New fuel enriched to 5% in uranium-235 (instead of the standard 3% to 4.95%) and containing erbium as a burnable absorber was for the first time loaded into Rosatom’s MIR.M1 research reactor to be tested for the potential use in VVER reactors. The new fuel will increase the refueling interval from the current 12-18 months to 24 months. Reactor power will also increase, with fewer assemblies needed for each refueling. The test program will last four years. Results of the tests will help develop commercial technology for the production of uranium-erbium fuel for VVER reactors and make a safety case for the use of the new fuel at Russian-designed nuclear power plants. “Enriching fuel to 6% in uranium-235 and even 7-8% in the long term is a global trend, and also a task that the key global players are working on. Given the fact that the present-day VVER reactors have 163 fuel assemblies and each of them contains more than 500 kg of uranium, the effect of increasing enrichment by as little as 1% will be very significant,” says Alexander Ugryumov, Vice President for Research and Development at TVEL (Rosatom’s Fuel Division).
Cooperation. Rosatom took part in a conference on the prospects of using nuclear energy in the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries in Samarkand. The conference discussed the role of nuclear energy in delivering the sustainable development agenda. “Acknowledging that the nuclear industry is ‘green’ and adding clean nuclear power to the national and international sustainable taxonomies are the most essential tasks in developing nuclear energy and effectively achieving net zero goals,” said Polina Lion, Chief Sustainability Officer at Rosatom. Speakers also emphasized the contribution of nuclear power to stimulating national economic growth. Attila Hugyecz from Paks II (Hungary) spoke about the prospects offered by Rosatom’s project to local small and medium-sized businesses. Visitors to Rosatom’s booth could learn more about the integrated proposal of the Russian nuclear corporation and its solutions for small-scale nuclear generation.
Additive tech. Rosatom set up production of titanium powders for selective laser melting (SLM) 3D printers. The spherical powders with the particle size of 20 to 63 microns are made from the company’s own feedstock. They are in demand in the aerospace, automotive, medical and power sectors. Previously, Russian manufacturers had to import 3D printing powders. “Increasing the availability and quality of materials and equipment for 3D printing will start a new round of development for the Russian industry. Our country has specific examples when the adoption of additive technology has almost halved production costs and doubled the launch of new products,” said Ilya Kavelashvili, Director for Additive Technologies at Rosatom’s Fuel Division.
