1st generation nitride fuel developed for Rosatom´s BREST-OD-300 fast reactor

Moscow, March 2 - Neftegaz.RU. Bochvar institute (research facility of Rosatom´s TVEL) has developed fuel rod design based on nitride uranium-plutonium fuel (MNUP-fuel) for the BREST-OD-300 fast neutron reactor.

At the same time, TVEL continues development of the 2^nd-generation fuel rods for the BREST-OD-300 with a higher burnout level, which will be used when MNUP fabrication will shift to the re-fabrication stage (meaning that irradiated fuel of the 1^st load after irradiation and reprocessing will be used for fresh fuel fabrication).

Mikhail Skupov, Deputy Director General of the Bochvar Institute, said:

• Pilot fuel assemblies with nitride fuel have been irradiated in the BN-600 reactor at the Beloyarsk NPP since 2014
• Though the sufficient validated fuel burnout for the BREST initial load is 6%, in the course of the testing we have already achieved the 9% level These results give us the grounds for the fuel rod endurance tests with 9-10% burnout

Alexander Ugryumov, VP for Research, Development and Quality at TVEL, stated:

• The research results related to nitride fuel for the BREST reactor will significantly accelerate fuel development for the nitride core version of the next generation BN-1200M fast reactor
• In 2022, experimental fuel assemblies with fuel rods of BN-1200M type are scheduled to be loaded in the BN-600 for endurance tests

The Siberian Chemical Combine (an enterprise of TVEL) continues the construction of the MNUP fuel fabrication/re-fabrication module as part of the Pilot Demonstration Energy Complex.
In February 2021, Rostechnadzor issued a license to for construction of BREST-OD-300, the world's 1^st power unit with a lead-cooled fast neutron reactor.