Izvestiya vuzov. Yadernaya Energetika

The peer-reviewed scientific and technology journal. ISSN: 0204-3327

Analysis of VVER-1000 nuclear fuel cycle based on remix fuel against proliferation of fissile materials

3/25/2019 2019 - #01 Fuel cycle and nuclear waste management

Solovyev S.V. Dyachenko A. I. Fedorov M. I. Efremov R.O. Artisyuk V. V.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.26583/npe.2019.1.06

UDC: 621.039.516.4

At the present time, one of the strategic objectives of ROSATOM is the global expansion of the VVER technological platform, which is focused on strengthening the position of the Russian Federation in the global market of nuclear technologies, through the growth in the supply of products and services throughout the life cycle of NPP. As a responsible vendor, ROSATOM, in addition to the reactor technologies themselves, provides services focused on the delivery of unirradiated nuclear fuel, return of the spent fuel, and the possibility of recycling fissile materials in the form of recycled fuels [1, 2].

The lack of nuclear materials enrichment and reprocessing technologies in the newcomer countries results in the need for fresh and spent nuclear fuel transportation. Therefore considerable efforts are required to ensure non-proliferation of nuclear fissile materials [3 – 5].

The present paper assesses the security of fissile materials in the VVER-1000 nuclear fuel cycle (NFC) based on REMIX fuel against unauthorized proliferation depending on recycling number. It is shown that the involvement of regenerated uranium in the form of the REMIX fuel, and therefore the 236U isotope, significantly increases the proportion of the 238Pu isotope in the plutonium isotopic vector, which prevents its diversion for non-peaceful purposes.

Additionally, uranium resource savings were estimated taking into account the involvement of REMIX-fuel in the VVER-1000 nuclear fuel cycle (NFC) by means of the IAEA MESSAGE energy planning software. Estimates have shown that the joint involvement of regenerated urani

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reprocessed uranium REMIX fuel burnup resources saving spent nuclear fuel VVER-1000 non-proliferation resistant

Link for citing the article: Solovyev S.V., Dyachenko A. I., Fedorov M. I., Efremov R.O., Artisyuk V. V. Analysis of VVER-1000 nuclear fuel cycle based on remix fuel against proliferation of fissile materials. Izvestiya vuzov. Yadernaya Energetika. 2019, no. 1, pp. 62-70; DOI: https://doi.org/10.26583/npe.2019.1.06 (in Russian).

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