Russia and Korea extend cooperation in fast research reactor work

Russia and Korea have signed a contract to carry out research on experimental fuel rods irradiated in the BOR-60 fast research reactor. Dimitrovgrad, Russia-based RIAR's BOR-60 is the world's only fast research reactor in operation. Commissioned in 1969, BOR-60 is fully contracted till the end of its lifetime in December 2020.

Russia and Korea have signed a contract to carry out research on experimental fuel rods irradiated in the BOR-60 fast research reactor. Dimitrovgrad, Russia-based RIAR's BOR-60 is the world's only fast research reactor in operation. Commissioned in 1969, BOR-60 is fully contracted till the end of its lifetime in December 2020.

Jong Kyung Kim and Alexander Tuzov at the signing ceremony (Image: RIAR)

The agreement, between the Research Institute of Atomic Reactors (RIAR) and the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (KAERI), is part of Korea's plans to develop a prototype Generation IV sodium-cooled fast research reactor.

RIAR director Alexander Tuzov said in the company statement today that the new contract was a key element of scientific and technological cooperation between RIAR and KAERI and the logical continuation of RIAR’s work over the last few years on radiation and materials science testing of construction materials in support of the Korean project. The 150 MWe Korean research reactor is expected to start operations in 2028.

RIAR will be the legal owner of the multipurpose sodium-cooled fast neutron research reactor, or MBIR by its Russian acronym, which is being built to replace BOR-60. The aggregated annual irradiation capability of MBIR will exceed that of BOR-60 four times over. Among MBIR's other advanced features are its three outside loop channels, while BOR-60 has none. That will enable parallel testing of heavy metal, sodium and gas coolants. MBIR will use vibropacked mixed-oxide (VMOX) fuel, a Russian variant for MOX fuel production, in which blended (U, Pu) O2 and UO2 powders are loaded and compressed directly into the cladding tube. The VMOX for MBIR will have a plutonium content of 38%.

Researched and written
by World Nuclear News