China might join consortium building fast neutron reactor in Russia by year's end - Rosatom
NOVOSIBIRSK. Aug 29 (Interfax) - China is expected to join the consortium formed to build a multipurpose fast neutron experimental reactor (MBIR) in Dimitrovgrad, Ulyanovsk Region before the end of this year, the director of international scientific and technical projects at Russian state corporation Rosatom Group and CEO of IRC MBIR Consortium Leader, Vasily Konstantinov said at the Tekhnoprom-2024 forum in Novosibirsk on Thursday.
"China is now at an advanced point of the negotiation process. We signed a term sheet last year - the main technical, legal and financial conditions - and we are now essentially polishing the documents on accession. We have the Chinese' accession to our consortium planned for the end of December this year. This will provide us with substantial financial resources, I won't say how much," Konstantinov said.
He also said negotiations are being held with Belarus on its participation in the consortium and recalled that it was earlier joined by the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna.
"A little more than 50% of the reactor resources will be used by industry organizations, Russian organizations. They automatically fall among the main participants [in the consortium]," Konstantinov said.
The reactor is being "equipped in accordance with the established directive methods, in 2023 there was a very important event, the installation of the reactor vessel in the final position, in 2025 we should to complete the assembly of the turbine set, 2027 is the physical start-up and in 2028 we should reach power start-up and operation," Konstantinov said.
The reactor is expected to operate for 50 years and the research program has been worked out to 2040.
"This is not just testing of materials or fuel compositions, here we see technology for closing the fuel cycle. Subsequently a polyfunctional radiochemical complex will be built where it will be possible to research construction materials and produce isotopes," Konstantinov said.
In general, the reactor will offer the opportunity for research in nuclear medicine and radiation technology, and it will also generate electricity, he said.
Earlier reports citing purchasing documentation said the budget for the project to build the MBIR reactor was over 132.9 billion rubles, including capital expenditures of 116.6 billion rubles.
MBIR project director Alexander Zagornov said on the sidelines of the Innoprom exhibition in July that the overall estimated cost of the project is 150 billion rubles, including "associated expenses."
The MBIR will be more powerful than any other existing or planned research reactor in the world. The thermal power of the sodium cooled reactor will be 150 MW. Its unique technical characteristics will make it possible to tackle a wide range of research problems in order to develop new competitive and safe nuclear power plants, including fast neutron reactors with a closed nuclear fuel cycle.
Russian state expert review office Glavgosexpertiza approved the design documentation for the MBIR reactor in August 2020.