Main R&D issues:

• increased burnup fraction of unloaded nuclear fuel;
• improved operating life of FA;
• improved operating reliability of nuclear fuel, justification for FA operating efficiency under the conditions of the increased capacity of power units (for VVER-1000 to 107% from Nnom) subject to safety assurance;
• creation of new types of gas centrifuges;
• optimization of TVS-K design (for PWR), new types of fuel for research reactors, floating power units, new cores for nuclear-powered icebreakers.

Major R&D directions for nuclear fuel:

• design and improvement of nuclear fuel and reactor cores of Russian design (primarily VVER-1000/1200/1300);
• design of nuclear fuel for Western reactors (PWR);
• design of nuclear fuel for low-capacity nuclear power stations, research reactors and nuclear-powered icebreakers.

Results of implementation of the project "Moving towards Zero Failure" in 2017:

• In accordance with the plan of ROSATOM State Corporation, NPPs and manufacturing plants have introduced or implemented the measures aimed to preclude the events of FA failure at NPP.
• To preclude the FA failure caused by debris-defects the specialists have elaborated and proved by experiments the structure of the 2nd generation anti-debris filter (ADF) with the improved characteristics. Introduction of new batch of FA with ADF-2 is planned in 2018 at Rostov NPP.
• Low level of failure is registered at Rostov NPP, Zaporozhye NPP, Rivne NPP, some units of Balakovo NPP. Kozloduy NPP is the leader in the lowest number of failed FA over a long period of time. From 2012 to 2017 only one failed FA was detected at Kozloduy NPP, this fact proves high quality of nuclear fuel production and excellent operation of these units.

Design of nuclear fuel for low-capacity nuclear power stations, research reactors and nuclear-powered icebreakers:

• Acceptance testing of experimental double FA MR 0039.04.00.000 with LEU-fuel for MARIA research reactor in Poland.
• Optimization of design and production process of experimental fuel elements of MIR type with high-density uranium-molybdenum fuel.
• Post-irradiation examination of two experimental FA IRT-3M with uranium-molybdenum fuel after irradiation in MIR research reactor with average burnup 60%.

Plans 2018 for nuclear fuel design and improvement

Introduction of the improved and new nuclear fuel and cores of NPP with VVER-1000/1200/1300 and VVER-440 reactors:

• Development of justification (critical power ration, reflood at loss-of-coolant accident) for operation of the cores VVER-1000 with TVS-2M with mixing grid at the capacity level 107%
• Implementation of R&D program on computational-experimental justification of the cores VVER-1200 and VVER-TOI (safety limits, radioactive GFP, controllability, etc.).
• Development of TVS-2006 design with the improved thermomechanical behavior (including without fuel assembly fixation in support grid).
• Preparation of materials for justification of operation pre-test assembly program of TVS-4 on the Unit No. 3 Rostov NPP.
• Implementation of the "Program of experimental and theoretical computation studies for justification of extended dry storage of new type FA".
• Introduction of TVSA-T.mod.2 design for Temelin NPP (Czech Republic).
• Development of documentation to justify the expansion of pre-test assembly program of the third generation cartridges and implementation of local parameters control on the Unit No.4 Kolsk NPP.
• Expansion of pilot operation of the third generation cartridges on the power unit 4 of Kolsk NPP in order to confirm representativeness of the reactor core control using In-Core Monitoring System.
• Design engineering of cartridge with fuel elements with outer diameter 8.9 mm. Elaboration of the supporting materials will be completed in 2019.
• Design engineering of jacketless assemblies RK-3+ for Dukovany NPP.

Within the project the Siberian Group of Chemical Enterprises (SGChE JSC) creates a pilot-demonstration energy complex (PDEC). The main task of PDEC is to prove stable operation of the full complex of objects that ensure closure of fuel cycle with application of fast inherent safety reactors. The Proryv Project is the top-priority project of ROSATOM in the planning horizon 2035-2040.

Closed nuclear fuel cycle - is a new integrated product in the sphere of nuclear power technology offering the following unique properties:

• elimination of severe accidents;
• consistent reduction of accumulated SNF and transition to generation of RW which is radiation- and toxic-equivalent to the relevant properties of uranium raw materials (radiation-equivalent RW burial);
• absence of practical restrictions of fuel base;
• engineering support of non-proliferation regime;
• ability to compete with other large-scale nuclear-power technologies, including non-nuclear.

PDEC involves the fabrication/re-fabrication module (FRM), power unit with BREST-OD-300 reactor facility, and SNF BREST-OD-300 reprocessing module, including the facilities to handle high-activity wastes from reprocessing module, fabrication/re-fabrication modules and reactor facility BREST-OD-300.

FRM is intended for production of mixed nitride uranium plutonium fuel for start load and reload of the BREST-ОD-300 reactor. Spent mixed nitride uranium plutonium fuel is transferred to the SNF processing module for extraction (SNF PM) of 99.9% nuclear materials, which will be used for MNUP fuel production. Construction of three facilities - FRM, BREST-OD-300 and SNF RM - will provide the opportunity to master the technology and prove the closure of the nuclear fuel cycle; no other country has ever managed to do this.

Its is planned that nearly 1000 jobs will be created with PDEC. To launch FRM by 2020 more than 250 workers must be employed and trained.

SGChE was chosen as the site for PDEC because this industrial complex has all specialists required for nuclear fuel cycle closure: for work on reactor, for fuel production and for irradiated nuclear fuel recycling. Besides, Tomsk has the unique scientific potential, which has been in demand during the whole period of research activities at PDEC.

By the end of 2017, 50% of construction of main FRM process buildings are completed, unique process equipment is manufactured and delivered at the construction site, namely:

• unit for carbothermic synthesis;
• units for pellets pressing;
• high-temperature continuous furnace for production of uranium plutonium fuel pellets.

In 2017 the project documentation on power unit with BREST-OD-300 reactor facility was improved. Launch of PDEC FRM under the Federal Target Program is planned for 2020.

Main results 2017:

• Construction of walls and floors of the main process buildings, start of special steel lining of the inside premises.
• Heating pipe main was laid to the PDEC site, now the buildings are connected to the heating line.
• SGChE received non-standard equipment for 15 FRM process plants.
• Improvement of design solution to reduce prime costs of the reactor construction.
• Development, production and installation of three experimental FAs with MNUP fuel in the reactor facility BN-600 (Beloyarsk NPP) for justification of operation capacity of RU BREST–OD-300 fuel.
• Starting from August the applications are being accepted from SGChE employees who want to undergo training and to work at PDEC facilities. Development in cooperation with the specialists of Seversky Institute of Technology (SIT) of MEPhI NRNU of training programs for the required job clusters. 36 persons were accepted for re-training in first two groups.

In 2017 SGChE JSC performed R&D using experimental benches for elaboration of technology for fast reactors SNF recycling, that made it possible:

• to justify selection of the combined technology for spent nuclear fuel reprocessing for SNF PM;
• for the first time in Russia to produce powders of mixed uranium and plutonium oxides using SHF denitration;
• to set requirements to the analytical equipment of the future SNF PM.

Total amount of investments in construction of PDEC objects in 2017 made nearly RUB 2.6 bln.

Plans 2018:

• erection of process equipment for MNUP fuel production;
• production and delivery to BN-600 of three EFAs with MNUP fuel to justify the working efficiency of RU BN-1200 fuel;
• R&D for elaboration of SNF reprocessing technology;
• state expertise of the project documentation for BREST-OD-300 construction;
• preparation of documentation for construction of BREST-ОD-300 reactor;
• training of the workers for FRM operation, with the involvement of the resources of the National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University and Seversk Institute of Technology of MEPhI NRNU.

Mox-Fuel Project

Industrial production of MOX-fuel was established for fuel supply of Unit No.4 Beloyarsk NPP with BN-800 reactor facility. In 2017 TVEL JSC together with FSUE MCP worked on elaboration of MOX-fuel production technology and attainment of the design capacity, launch into manufacture and production of fuel under the current contracts with Rosenergoatom Concern JSC.

Nuclear Fuel for Fast Rectors

In 2017 production of FA BN-600 with EK164 steel jacket FAs for reduction of BN-600 reactor core was continued. Application of the advanced austenite steel EK-164 will make it possible to increase reactor life and to improve efficiency of fuel utilization of power unit No. 3 of Beloyarsk NPP with BN-600 reactor.