Rosatom to make REMIX fuel for VVER-1000 reactors

Russias integrated nuclear power player Rosatom will make uraniumplutonium REMIX fuel matrix for VVER1000 reactors the company said According to Rosatom the remix fuel will be made at the site of the Siberian Chemical Combine SCC part of TVEL Fuel Company a group companyThe shop floor of SCC will be modernised and the Investment Committee of Rosatom has accorded the sanction According to Rosatom modernisation of the shopfloor will result in the launch of a new production line for assembling VVER1000 fuel rods and fuel bundles of TVS2M model including the installations ensuring multilevel quality controlThe uraniumplutonium fuel pellet project is expected to be accomplished in 2023 Rosatom said the REMIX regenerated mixture fuel is a Russian innovative product for thermal lightwater reactors which make up the backbone of the modern nuclear power industryIts fuel matrix is made from a mixture of reprocessed uranium and plutonium extracted from spent nuclear fuel with addition of small volumes of enriched uranium This is distinct from uraniumplutonium fuels for fast reactors such as mixed nitride uraniumplutonium or MNUP and mixed oxide fuel or MOX fuelThe Russian nuclear major said the REMIX fuel has low plutonium content up to 15 per cent Its neutron spectrum does not vary from common light water reactor LWR fuel with enriched uranium Therefore fuel assemblies behaviour in the reactor core and the amount of plutonium bred from uranium due to irradiation are generally similarFor nuclear power plant NPP operators this means that in perspective REMIX fuel may be introduced without any changes in reactor design or additional safety measuresIntroduction of such fuel would boost exponentially the feedstock for nuclear power plants due to closing of the nuclear fuel cycle and to recycle spent nuclear fuel instead of its storage Rosatom saidSince 2016 three TVS2M fuel assemblies each containing six experimental REMIX fuel rods among 312 rods in one fuel bundle have been undergoing pilot operation programme at unit No 3 of Balakovo NPP in Russia In 2020 the third 18month cycle of their irradiation started According to Rosatom the fuel bundles with the experimental REMIX fuel rods have successfully completed two microcampaigns and continue the full irradiation cycleThe next step should be loading of fullfledged REMIX fuel assemblies in a reactor For this purpose it is planned to launch fabrication of such fuel at the Siberian Chemical Combine The capacity of this production line will be sufficient to manufacture experimental REMIX fuel bundles for pilot operations in required numbers Rosatom addedThis is the first stage necessary for testing the technology afterwards it will be possible to consider creation of industrial batch production facility of REMIX fuel in RosatomAccording to Alexander Ugryumov Vice President Research and Development TVEL Fuel the prospects of this depend on the results of the pilot operations of the REMIX fuel that has been producedIndia has two functional VVER1000 reactors and two more under construction at Kudankulam in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu Two more VVER1000 units 5 and 6 will also come up at KudankulamIt is said it is for Indias Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd NPCIL or others to decide on using the REMIX fuelKeep scrolling to read more newsCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest newsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever