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    • 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.
    09.12.2024
    Fuel. Fuel assemblies with innovative REMIX fuel have entered the final 18-month round of pilot operation tests. Instead of conventional natural uranium enriched to the required level, the fuel contains a mixture of regenerated uranium and plutonium obtained from spent VVER reactor fuel. In the future, this will make it possible to involve light-water thermal reactors, now the most widely used type in the nuclear power industry, into the closed nuclear fuel cycle in addition to fast neutron reactors. This will multiply the available amount of feedstock for the fabrication of fresh nuclear fuel. Six REMIX fuel assemblies were loaded into the BN-1000 reactor at the Balakovo NPP in late 2021. The results of the first two rounds confirmed the operational safety of REMIX fuel.
    Fusion. Rosatom engineers have developed a concept design for a ‘reactor technology’ tokamak (TRT). This is one of the most important stages in developing an operational prototype of a pilot commercial fusion reactor. The concept design outlines fundamental solutions providing a general idea of the TRT structure, operating principles, dimensions and expected performance substantiated by data estimates. TRT is a tokamak featuring a long discharge pulse, strong magnetic field and electromagnetic system made of high-temperature superconductors. Its design provides for the possibility of deuterium-tritium plasma sustainment. “When brought to life, this reactor design will constitute an almost unlimited source of clean and safe energy and will significantly reduce dependence on fossil fuels and greenhouse gas emissions,” said Sergey Gertzog, Director General of the Efremov Research Institute of Electrophysical Equipment (NIIEFA).
    Icebreakers. Sea trials of the Yakutia nuclear-powered icebreaker started in the Gulf of Finland. All key systems and mechanisms of the ship will be tested in the next two weeks. Yakutia is the fourth multi-purpose icebreaker of the Project 22220 series. Being built at the Baltic Shipyard on commission from Rosatom, the vessel is equipped with a nuclear propulsion system with two RITM-200 reactors. Each reactor has a thermal capacity of 175 MW and a service life of 40 years. The Russian nuclear icebreaker fleet consists of seven vessels: the most advanced multi-purpose nuclear icebreakers Arktika, Sibir, and Ural (Project 22220), nuclear-powered icebreakers Yamal, and 50 Let Pobedy (Project 10521), Taimyr, and Vaygach (Project 10580). Another two Project 22220 icebreakers, Chukotka and Leningrad, and a Project 10510 super icebreaker Rossiya are under construction.
    02.12.2024
    NRTC. Rosatom and the Ministry of Innovation and Technology of Ethiopia signed a contract to conduct a feasibility study for a nuclear research and technology center (NRTC) that might be built in the country. Rosatom will analyze Ethiopia’s non-energy economic sectors to assess their need for the technology solutions that can be adopted at the NRTC. The parties will also make a list of potential users who will later form a market for the NRTC-based commercial products and services. Rosatom will identify possible sites for the center and conduct preliminary engineering surveys as part of site selection activities. The NRTC is Rosatom’s turnkey proposal integrating a research reactor, laboratories and, optionally, a multi-purpose irradiation facility and a nuclear medicine center. Also included in the proposal are the services for the development of nuclear infrastructure in the partner country, personnel training, fuel deliveries, maintenance and upgrade, spent fuel and radioactive waste management.
    Wind farm. Rosatom has started construction of another wind farm, Novolakskaya, in Dagestan, Russia. The wind farm will have 120 wind turbines with a capacity of 2.5 MW each. The first 61 wind turbines with the total capacity of 152.5 MW will be commissioned in 2025. Another 59 wind turbines with the total capacity of 147.5 MW will be put in operation in 2026. The total installed capacity of Novolakskaya will be 300 MW, with the planned output to be 879 million kWh on the annual average. Rosatom is an end-to-end technology vendor for the wind power industry, with its services ranging from wind power engineering to turbine maintenance. Atommash (Rosatom’s production facility) manufactures hubs, nacelles, generators and cooling systems for wind turbines. To date, Rosatom has commissioned nine wind farms in southern Russia with the total installed capacity of 1,035 MW. The total capacity of Rosatom’s wind farms is planned to reach 1.7 GW by 2027.
    NSR. Russia hosted the first meeting of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) Cooperation Sub-Commission of the Russia-China Commission for the Preparation of Regular Meetings between the Heads of Government. “Although we are holding the first meeting of the Sub-Commission, we have already put on paper a number of navigation safety agreements between our countries. We also deal with other important issues in a fully collaborative manner,” said Alexey Likhachev, Head of Rosatom. The primary scope of the Sub-Commission’s activities comprises navigation safety, growth of cargo traffic on the NSR, development of logistics routes, and exchange of information on ice conditions. This year, Chinese shipping companies have almost doubled the number of voyages on the NSR. In June, Rosatom and Chinese companies signed a letter of intent to set up a shipbuilding joint venture and establish a year-round container line linking Russian and Chinese ports through the Northern Sea Route. The NSR is the shortest shipping lane between the western part of Eurasia and the Asia-Pacific region.