Rosatom starts construction of unique power unit with BREST-OD-300 fast neutron reactor

Seversk (Tomsk region), June 8 - Neftegaz.RU. The construction of a 300 MW nuclear power unit with an innovative lead coolant BREST-OD-300 fast reactor has begun at the site of the Siberian Chemical Combine (an enterprise of Rosatom´s TVEL).

The event was attended by Tomsk regional governor Sergei Zhvachkin, Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev, Kurchatov Institute President Mikhail Kovalchuk.
Russian Academy of Sciences President Alexander Sergeev, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi and Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) Director General William Magwood sent in video addresses.

Alexey Likhachev said:

• The nuclear power industry’s resource base will practically become inexhaustible thanks to the infinite reprocessing of nuclear fuel
• At the same time, the future generations will be spared the problem of accumulating spent nuclear fuel
• The successful implementation of this project will allow our country to become the world’s 1^st owner of the nuclear power technology which fully meets the principles of sustainable development in terms of environment, accessibility, reliability and efficient use of resources

Natalia Nikipelova, President of TVEL, said:

• The implementation of the Breakthrough project embraces not just development of innovative reactors, but also introduction of the new generation technologies of nuclear fuel cycle
• Firstly, this includes production of dense nitride MNUP fuel, which will ensure the efficient operation of a lead-cooled fast reactor and consist entirely of recycled nuclear materials such as plutonium and depleted uranium
• Secondly, this means more efficient and economically attractive radiochemical technologies for the processing of irradiated fuel and waste management
• Taken together, they will make the nuclear power of the future in fact renewable with a practically waste-free production chain

According to the planned timeline, the BREST-OD-300 reactor should start operating in 2026.