Rosatom first sent fuel for fast neutron reactor to China

2023: Agreement between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping to continue cooperation in the development of fast neutron reactors

and China Russia deepen cooperation on the key atomic technology that keeps Pentagon on edge because of its potential to upset the global balance of nuclear weapons.

Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping in March 2023 announced a long-term agreement to continue the development of so-called fast neutron reactors.

The US Congress is seeking from the White House to take measures to curb the "dangerous," in his opinion, ties between Rosatom and the Chinese National Nuclear Corporation. The Pentagon considers the transfer of reactors key to the Chinese weapons program.

2022

Rosatom completes transfer of 25 tons of highly enriched uranium for China's first fast neutron reactor

In December 2022, Russian nuclear giant Rosatom completed the transfer of 25 tons of highly enriched uranium for China's first CFR-600 fast neutron reactor, a facility that analysts say can produce fuel for about 50 nuclear warheads a year.

Russia remains the world's top supplier of nuclear technology and fuel.

First delivery of fast neutron reactor fuel to China

Rosatom first sent fuel for a fast neutron reactor to China, which the state corporation announced on September 29, 2022. We are talking about supplies for the Xiapu nuclear power plant, which is also known as its reactor as CFR-600 (China Fast Reactor 600). This is the flagship project of the PRC in the field of "fast "nuclear power.

The first fuel assemblies for the reactor start-up loading have been shipped to the customer. The fuel company once again confirmed that it is ready to implement complex projects in non-standard conditions, to approach the requirements of our partners flexibly. Of course, we see great potential for the further development of mutually beneficial cooperation in the PRC, - said Oleg Grigoriev, Senior Vice President for Commerce and International Business of TVEL JSC.

Rosatom first sent fuel for fast neutron reactor to China

According to him, the project for the production of fuel for the CFR-600 reactor has been implemented for three years. This is a task unique in its complexity and innovation, and Rosatom's fuel company TVEL strictly fulfills its obligations to supply serial fuel, CFR-600 Grigoriev said.

Uranium fuel production was CFR-600 created at the Machine-Building Plant in Elektrostal (JSC MSZ, an enterprise of the Fuel Company of Rosatom TVEL) in 2021, for this purpose the company modernized the site for the manufacture of fuel assemblies for "fast" reactors, developed and installed unique equipment. At the end of 2021, the customer was sent mock-ups of the control and protection system assemblies for testing the reactor simulation zone.

By the end of the year 2022, it is planned to send two more batches of fuel to China for the initial loading of the reactor and the first refueling. The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.^[1]

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