Rosatom is manufacturing nuclear fuel assemblies on a trial basis for Russia’s first onshore SMR NPP

Rosatom’s TVEL Fuel Company has manufactured an experimental nuclear fuel assembly for the world’s first land-based small modular reactor nuclear power plant (SMR NPP) based on a RITM-200N reactor.

The SMR system with an installed electrical output of 55 MW is scheduled to go into operation in Yakutia in 2028. Elemash (TVEL’s manufacturing facility) will begin manufacturing the first fuel assemblies in 2025, with the full initial charge expected to be manufactured in 2026.

Before the start of production, the test fuel elements and their dummies are subjected to a series of necessary pre-irradiation tests.

Small nuclear power plants are considered to be the optimal solution for a sustainable and reliable power supply in remote areas away from central networks, in which the construction of large power plants is not rational.

SMR NPPs can also replace old fossil fuel power plants with high CO2 emissions. Overall, in addition to the traditional advantages of generating nuclear power, SMR NPPs have a number of special advantages.

The TVEL Fuel Company of Rosatom (the Rosatom fuel division) includes companies involved in the manufacture of nuclear fuel, uranium conversion and enrichment, gas centrifuge manufacture, and research and design organizations.

This year the company celebrates its 25th anniversary. The company, founded in 1996, is now one of the largest fuel suppliers for the global nuclear energy industry and is expanding its position by implementing new production projects.

In the entire history of TVEL, there have been no complaints from customers about the quality of the products. As the only supplier of nuclear fuel for Russian nuclear power plants, TVEL supplies a total of 75 power reactors in 15 countries, research reactors in nine countries around the world and transport reactors of the Russian nuclear fleet with fuel. Every sixth power reactor in the world runs on TVEL fuel.

Rosatom’s fuel division is the world’s largest producer of enriched uranium and the world leader in stable isotopes. The Fuel Division is actively developing new businesses in chemistry, metallurgy, energy storage technologies, 3D printing, digital products, and nuclear decommissioning.

Rosatom’s industrial additive technology and power storage systems integrators were created in the Fuel Company’s TVEL cycle.