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Russia Took An Important Step Towards The Safe Decommissioning Of Nuclear Reactors. Scientists In The Country Developed An Innovative Solid-Phase Oxidation Technology That Can Efficiently Prepare Sodium-Cooled Facilities For Dismantling. Tests Confirmed The Method’s Viability, Which Can Now Be Expanded For Industrial Use.
Russia Announced An Innovation That Could Change The Future Of Nuclear Reactor Decommissioning. The State-Owned Rosatom Presented A New Technology To Deal With Radioactive Liquid Sodium, Used As A Coolant In Fast Neutron Reactors. The Advancement Could Ensure More Safety And Efficiency In The Dismantling Of These Facilities.
Liquid Sodium Becomes Safe Solid
The New Equipment, According To Rosatom, Transforms Contaminated Liquid Sodium Into A Solid Material Similar To A Mineral. This Material Can Be Disposed Of Safely, Without The Need For New Storage Structures.
Among The Cited Benefits Are The Complete Elimination Of Gas Emissions, Reduction Of Explosion And Fire Risks, And A Simpler Process Done In A Single Step.
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The Plant That Carries Out This Process Is Called “Mineral 100/150”. It Was Developed By The Leypunsky Institute Of Physics And Energy Engineering For Rosatom’s Fuel Division, Called TVEL.
Towards Safe Decommissioning
The Technology Was Created For Fast Neutron Reactors, A Specific Type Of Nuclear Reactor. In This Model, The Chain Reaction Occurs With Fast Neutrons, And Liquid Sodium Is Used As A Coolant.
This Type Of Reactor Offers Efficiency Advantages, But Sodium Presents Technical And Environmental Challenges, Especially In Decommissioning.
Rosatom Highlighted That This Technology Can Accelerate The Dismantling Of Several Reactors Of This Type. Included Are The BOR-60 Research Reactor And The BN-600 And BN-800 Reactors Located At The Beloyarsk Plant.
First Tests And Possible Use In Kazakhstan
One Of The First Locations To Use The Technology Could Be Kazakhstan. The Country Is Currently In The Process Of Decommissioning The BN-350 Reactor Located In Aktau. The Facility Contains 680 Cubic Meters Of Liquid Sodium.
Eduard Nikitin, Director Of The Decommissioning Area At TVEL, Stated That The New Technology Can Be Applied There Without The Construction Of New Facilities. Sodium Could Be Treated With The Existing Structure Within A Period Of Three To Four Years.
Expansion Of The Nuclear Backend
TVEL, In Addition To Supplying Fuel For Russian Plants, Has Been Expanding Its Operations In The So-Called “Nuclear Backend”.
This Term Refers To The Final Stage Of The Life Cycle Of Nuclear Facilities: Decommissioning, Waste Management, And Rehabilitation Of Contaminated Areas.
Since 2019, TVEL Has Been Responsible For Integrating These Processes In The Russian Nuclear Industry. The Company Aims To Ensure That Older Reactors Are Dismantled Safely, And That Waste Is Managed According To Modern Standards.
The “Mineral 100/150” Plant Utilizes A Solid-Phase Oxidation Process. This Process Was Successfully Tested In March 2024, According To Andrey Lebezov, Director Of JSC SSC RF – IPPE. He Stated That The Tests Confirm The Possibility Of Expanding The Use Of The Technology In Other Facilities.
Recognition And Next Steps
The New Plant Has Already Been Recognized By The Commonwealth Of Independent States (CIS), A Group Of Countries That Includes Several Former Soviet Republics.
The Technology Meets Current Standards For Water Resistance, An Essential Factor To Ensure The Safe Final Disposal Of Solid Waste.
Thus, Russia Takes An Important Step To Address One Of The Greatest Challenges Of Nuclear Energy: The End Of The Life Cycle Of Reactors. And The New Process May Serve As A Model For Other Countries Facing The Same Problem.
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