Rosatom’s fuel company TVEL has completed all shipments planned for 2022 to China as part of the fulfillment of Russian obligations to supply the starting fuel load for the CFR-600 fast neutron reactor, China’s flagship project in the field of “fast” nuclear energy.
Three batches of nuclear fuel, including all fuel assemblies for the initial loading of the core, as well as fuel for the first overload, were shipped by rail from the Machine-building Plant in Elektrostal (JSC “MSZ”, the enterprise of the Rosatom Fuel Company “TVEL”). In addition, the reactor control and protection assemblies were delivered by air transport.
The production of CFR-600 uranium fuel was established at the Machine-Building Plant in 2021, for this purpose, the company modernized the site for the fabrication of fuel assemblies for “fast” reactors, developed and installed unique equipment. At the end of 2021, assemblies of the control and protection system for testing the reactor simulation zone were sent to the customer.
“Rosatom’s fuel company TVEL has fully and on time fulfilled the obligations of the Russian side within the framework of the CFR-600 project. This is another important area of our cooperation in addition to the fuel supply of the Tianwan NPP VVER reactors, the development of VVER fuel fabrication at the Yibin plant, as well as the supply of fuel for the first Chinese experimental fast reactor CEFR. In general, Rosatom has a unique more than forty years of experience in the production of fuel for fast reactors, and we see significant potential for further use of this experience in the implementation of the strategy of two-component nuclear power (that is, with simultaneous operation of thermal fast neutron reactors) not only in Russia, but also in China,” the Senior Vice-Oleg Grigoriev, President of Commerce and International Business of TVEL JSC.
