Prague, March 20 - Neftegaz.RU. TVEL has contracted supply of nuclear fuel for the LVR-15 research reactor at the Nuclear Research Center in Řež, the Czech Republic. The contract covers fuel supply in 2020 and has a framework structure for future supplies on the request of the customer.
LVR-15 is a 10 MW light water reactor, which historically has been using IRT-4M tubular fuel manufactured by the Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant (an enterprise of TVEL). The reactor is the major facility of the research infrastructure at CVŘ, one of the leading nuclear physics and material science institutions in Europe.
Irradiation and post-irradiation studies at CVŘ are also carried out as part of development and verification of Russian fuel for large-scale commercial power reactors. In 2019, TVEL and CVŘ signed an agreement for material studies. In particular, scientific research in LVR-15 will include studying of radiation-induced growth and radiation-thermal creep of Russian-made zirconium alloys at low fluence of fast neutrons.
“Cooperation between TVEL and Řež Nuclear Research Centre is an example of a win-win multiprofile partnership in the nuclear industry. The Czech research reactor has been operated with the Russian fuel from the very first day. TVEL, in its turn, uses the skills and experience of Czech specialists to conduct research at CVŘ, an institution with the unquestioned reputation in the global professional community. At the same time, TVEL offers new more efficient fuel developments and solutions to its long-standing partners, including Czech nuclear power plants,” commented Oleg Grigoriyev, Senior VP for commerce and international business at TVEL.
TVEL of Rosatom is the only supplier of nuclear fuel for Russian nuclear power plants. The company provides nuclear fuel for 73 power reactors in 13 countries worldwide, research reactors in eight countries, as well as transport reactors of the Russian nuclear fleet. Every sixth power reactor in the world operates on fuel manufactured by TVEL.
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TVEL will supply fuel for the reactor at Řež Nuclear Research Center in the Czech Republic