The international conference on nuclear fuel cycle is a key event organized by the French Nuclear Society (SFEN). By tradition, the conference was visited by top executives of ROSATOM, OECD/NEA, AREVA, NECSA, CNNC, USEC, JAEA, NAGRA, SINHA, ANDRA and URENCO.
Rusatom International Network (Rosatom’s subsidiary) presented an exhibition of the latest technologies and products offered by Russian nuclear companies. The exhibition provided detailed information about the multipurpose research fast breeder reactor (MBIR), now under construction in Dimitrovgrad, the BN-800 fast breeder reactor and the Breakthrough Project focused on the closed nuclear fuel cycle development.
A separate stand presented information on Rosatom’s key research areas, including spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste management and nuclear decommissioning. Visitors also showed great interest in the augmented reality interactive model of the AES-2006 project.
The Russian exhibition was visited by top officials of foreign nuclear organizations, including OECD NEA Director General Luis Echávarri and SFEN President Christophe Béhar.
According to Andrei Rozhdestvinov, Head of Rosatom France (a local office of Rusatom International Network), the Russian stand was popular among the visitors who discussed the exhibition and asked questions about the exhibited projects.
The International Conference on Astroparticle and Underground Physics (TAUP) is held every two years and is a major forum for researchers in cosmology, particle physics, neutrinoless double beta decay and dark matter. Among the conference participants are major international collaborations (SuperNemo, Amore, Lucifer, Gerda, Majorana, etc.) and key suppliers of equipment and materials for scientific research.
Rosatom Group companies taking part in the conference were Izotop (a producer of isotopes, radiation and medical equipment) and Electrochemical Plant (a uranium enrichment facility and a producer of isotopes, chemical elements and equipment).
Participation in the conference gave Izotop an opportunity to meet members of academic collaborations and discuss cooperation prospects. According to Kristina Steshakova from Izotop’s International Business Development, they had a meeting with the Amore Collaboration to discuss supplies of Molybdenum-100 stable isotope produced by the Eletrochemical Plant. Immediate plans are to draft a contract and delivery terms.
Certain areas of research require high-precision scintillation crystal detectors. These crystals are grown from stable isotopes having a high enrichment degree. Stable isotopes used for this purpose should have two indispensable properties – high chemical and radioactive purity. Rosatom’s technology and capacity allow the production of stable isotopes having such properties. Izotop as a key producer of isotopes within the Rosatom Group and has been supplying these products to the international market for many years.
