The Nuclear Fuel Cycle in Russia. State and Prospects
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IAEA-CN-114/48p The nuclear fuel cycle in russia. State and prospects V.M.Lebedev The State Central Institute for Continuing Education and Training, Obninsk, Russia Abstract. The paper looks at prerequisites for the nuclear fuel cycle, including the experience in the implementation of military nuclear programs for needs of nuclear power and summarizes the status of nuclear power fuel base following the disintegration of the USSR detailing the current status of Russian nuclear fuel cycle enterprises. A scheme of technological links of nuclear fuel cycle productions plants is provided. Russia's fuel resources for nuclear power plants, uranium enrichment, fuel fabrication and spent fuel reprocessing are examined in detail. The analysis of nuclear fuel cycle technologies suggests the development of international cooperation not only on nuclear materials supplies, but also on export of uranium enrichment and radiochemical spent fuel reprocessing technologies as well as universal hydrometallurgical technologies. The paper examines the prospects of conversion of nuclear technologies into industrial technologies. 1. Prerequisites for the nuclear fuel cycle 1.1. Creation, implementation and experience in the development of military nuclear programs On August 20, 1945, at the State Defense Committee of the USSR, the Special Interdepartmental Committee was set up to solve nuclear problems for military purposes and at that time, at the National Commissioners Council of the USSR, the First Chief Administration was set up to solve current problems concerning the nuclear weapon development. Coincident with the development, installation and commissioning of the first nuclear F-1 reactor, various technologies and equipment have been verified and the following plants have been designed and constructed: - plant for uranium fuel fabrication for industrial reactors; - reactor plant; - radiochemical plant; - metallurgical plant; - isotope separation plant; - large-scale hydrometallurgical plant. In 1948, first batches of industrial plutonium were produced, and in 1949, first batches of highly enriched uranium were produced. Thus, a full-scale production of weapons-grade nuclear materials was started. Implementation of military programs under conditions of the confrontation between social systems resulted in a large-scale production. Military plutonium was built up in 13 nuclear reactors, which were insignificantly used to produce heat and electricity. More than 100 GW (el) enriched uranium were produced. The world’s largest uranium industry was created, to produce weapons-grade plutonium and uranium. On June, 26, 1953, the First Chief Administration at the Council of Ministers of the USSR was transformed into the USSR Ministry of Medium-Scale Mechanical Engineering dealing with nuclear science and technology. A system was created comprising research institutes, design offices, industrial enterprises of different profiles which were rigidly subordinated to one administrative structure. After having implemented the first stage of the military program and having created a nuclear industrial complex, scientific and technical workers began to seek actively new fields of using nuclear energy. In 1949, they began to design the first nuclear power plant (NPP) with an uranium-graphite reactor of channel type using normal water as a coolant, making use of the experience in the development of the industrial reactor to produce plutonium. The first in the world NPP was commissioned on June 26, 1954 in the town of Obninsk. In 1958, the Siberian NPP of dual-purpose type was commissioned to produce weapons-grade plutonium and electricity and some later - municipal heat. In 1952, the Government signed the resolution to start works on the development of nuclear power reactors for nuclear submarines. The water-moderated water-cooled reactor was chosen. In 1954, construction of the first in the USSR nuclear submarine was started. On July, 4, 1958 the submarine left for running underwater tests using nuclear reactor energy. At the same time, works on nuclear icebreakers were performed. Designing of nuclear ice breakers began in 1953. The nuclear icebreaker "Lenin" commissioned in 1959 operated effectively for 30 years and in 1990, it was decommissioned . Successful works on reactors with water under pressure for shipping have suggested the development of that direction for nuclear power reactor construction. In 1954-1955, Terms of Reference were developed to design a reactor for the Novovoronezh NPP. In September 1964, the first pilot power reactor VVER-210 was put into operation. As the technical basis of NPPs served uranium-graphite plutonium reactors of the channel type and shell-type water-moderated ship reactors which had well mastered prototypes in the defense area. th In 1950 , work on the creation of nuclear reactors for planes, rocket engines and space applications began. Research nuclear reactors were developed for various purposes, including isotopes production for various needs. 1.2. The inheritance from military nuclear programs A large-scale military industrial complex was created to produce nuclear materials, including: - uranium fabrication; - uranium isotopes separation; - manufacturing weapons-grade plutonium. Specially for power engineering, fuel elements and fuel assemblies production enterprises, as well as radiochemical plants for reprocessing fuel from NPPs were created. Essentially, uranium production and isotope separation for military and civil purposes do not differ. It is not necessary to produce weapons-grade plutonium for civil nuclear power, where power- grade plutonium produced in NPP reactors is used. The uranium production and isotope separation plants had capacities and nuclear materials reserves which significantly exceeded demand of the domestic nuclear power for the next years. In this connection, the possibilities to export uranium and production services abroad were increased. 1.3. Status of the fuel basis of Russia’s nuclear power following the disintegration of the USSR Following the disintegration of the USSR Russia’s nuclear industry has lost: - 70% of identified uranium deposits; - zirconium deposits (zirconium is the basic constructional material for fuel fabrication for NPP); - identified fluorine deposits for manufacturing uranium hexafluoride; - 85% of UO2 pellets production; - niobium production, (niobium is an alloying element for nuclear zirconium alloys); - ion-exchange sorbents production for uranium hydrometallurgy, radiochemistry, recycling of waste products of practically all nuclear industries; - beryllium and tantalum production. In Russia, the following industries have remained: - limited uranium stocks, outputs correspond to the capacity of a NPP with the power of 15-20 GW (el); - uranium isotopes separation (the same output); - 15% of UO2 tablets fabrication (production extends); - production of zirconium alloys and products (without own identified raw-material deposits); - production of fuel element and fuel assemblies (the same output); - radiochemical plants reprocessing fuel from VVER-440 with the same output and providing centralized storage of fuel from VVER-1000; - all plants manufacturing weapons-grade nuclear materials; - basic stocks of nuclear materials accumulated during implementation of large-scale defense programs. The created large-scale nuclear complex enabled the accumulation of significant amounts of nuclear materials which are partly used for fuel fabrication for the Russian NPPs or sold on the world market but the greater part is stored for the future consumption in Russia. The basic uranium stocks are stored as ingots of metal uranium accumulated for operation of uranium-graphite reactors, as melt (uranyl nitrate) resulting from reprocessing of fuel from uranium-graphite reactors, as stockpiles of past gas-diffusion technology and they are economically suitable for reprocessing with gas-centrifugal technology into enriched uranium. Excessive weapons-grade uranium stocks are also rather significant. When that uranium is diluted up to power-grade concentration, its reserves are estimated to be enough to support the domestic NPP operation for at least 50-70 years taking into account, that for its dilution up to power-grade U-235 concentration natural uranium is needed in certain amounts to meet NPP requirements for 7-8 years. Uranium stocks are expected to be enough to supply modern Russian NPPs for more than 100 years. These reserves will enable the creation of large-scale nuclear power in Russia by the middle of the century. However, own uranium raw materials are not sufficient to support the nuclear industry in the next years. It will be necessary to involve also weapons- and power-grade plutonium as well as the uranium regenerated from fuel with high burnup. Much work in this field lies ahead. That is why realization of the closed fuel cycle of NPPs should not be postponed as it is necessary to solve long-term environmental problems. 2. Status of nuclear fuel cycle enterprises in Russia (The deposits at this mine should be sufficient for 25 years.[4,5] The Ingulskyi mine, on the outskirts of Kirovohrad, is located 40 km from the Novokostyantynivskyi mine and 150 km from the Smolino mine.[3] The deposits at this mine should last for approximately 15 years.[4,5] The Novokostyantynivskyi mine taps the largest known uranium deposit in Ukraine.[3] Reportedly, new deposits will be opened in early 1996, at which point Ukraine's uranium output will double.[6] This will allow Ukraine