Breakthrough Project

consists of a nuclear unit equipped with lead-cooled BREST-OD-300, and a terminal plant, which includes a module for reprocessing of irradiated mixed uranium-plutonium (nitride) fuel and a fabrication/re-fabrication module for fabrication of starting a degraded from imported materials, and further on - the fuel elements made of recycled irradiated nuclear fuel. EDEC is intended to demonstrate the sustainable operation of the facilities that ensure the closing of the nuclear fuel cycle for the first time in the world. The accommodation within the same site of the reactor and of nuclear fuel fabrication plants allows to verify the technology of "short fuel cycle" in the shortest possible time.
Such fuel cycle is provided with common radioactive waste management system (RAS). The fabrication plant became the world first producer of mixed nitride fuel on the basis of reactor-grade plutonium and depleted uranium.
In 2021, the construction and installation companies will construct 165 km of power transmission lines, install ventilation system in the area of about 8 thousand sq.m., perform the installation of 450 tonnes of process equipment.

• Fabrication and re-fabrication module
  The united module of fuel fabrication and re-fabrication allows to work with both source materials and products of SNF reprocessing of Brest-OD-300 reactor.
  The experimental fuel rods and fuel assemblies (FA) are tested in the fast reactor BN-600 at Beloyarsk NPP to obtain as much as possible complete experimental data about the properties and behavior of the pelletized mixed nitride uranium-plutonium fuel in the steel cladding. The experimental fuel assemblies fabricated by SCC proved to be effective in the course of the reactor tests and by the results of post-irradiation examinations. No fuel cladding failure has been detected during the tests of the fuel assemblies made of compacted nitride uranium-plutonium fuel in BN-600. In 2020, new batches of experimental fuel assemblies, 61 fuel rods in each, were installed in the reactor.
  At the beginning of 2021, the installation of the main process equipment of the module for fabrication of mixed nitride uranium-plutonium was started at the site of Siberian Chemical Combine. The installation of the platforms for the equipment for production of the pellets of the mixed nitride uranium-plutonium was completed.
  The completion of the main process equipment installation at the fuel fabrication and re-fabrication module is anticipated in 2021.
• BREST
  The key element of EDEC is the world first innovative demonstration and industrial power unit based on Brest-OD-300 fast reactor with lead coolant that fully complies with the principles of "inherent safety".
  The design of the reactor plant allows to localize the coolant leakage within the reactor vessel and eliminate the core uncovery. This eliminates an accident requiring the public evacuation.
  In 2021, the Federal Service for Ecological, Technological and Atomic Supervision issued a license to Siberian Chemical Plant (SCC) for construction of the first in the world pilot demonstration power unit equipped with lead-cooled fast reactor BREST-OD-300.
  In 2021, Siberian Chemical Plant signed the contracts for production and supply of the main process equipment for the reactor facility. The manufacturing and delivery of the refelling equipment for installation/extraction of the nuclear fuel into the core of the reactor plant from it will be performed by Central Mechanical Engineering Design Bureau (CMEDB). The manufacturing, delivery and designer supervision of installation of steam generators for the reactor plant will by provided by Machine-Building Plant ZiO-Podolsk.
  The manufacturing of the reactor plant high-tech equipment will take from three to five years, the installation of the main equipment is to be completed in 2025.
• Reprocessing module
  It is envisaged to gradually implement at the reprocessing facility of EDEC the combined technology for reprocessing of the spent mixed nitride fuel. The final option of pyrochemical reprocessing has been selected on the basis of the conducted laboratory tests.