Fourth-generation nuclear training: the command-room simulator for the innovative reactor BREST-OD-300 has been put into operation.

At the School and Information Center of the Siberian Chemical Combine in Seversk, a full-scale command-room simulator for the lead-cooled fast reactor “BREST-OD-300” has been put into operation. This step enables comprehensive training of operational personnel and licensing prior to the physical startup of this fourth-generation energy block

The simulator was developed by JSC VNIIAES (part of Rosatom's electric power division), which has developed over 40 simulators for various energy blocks of Russian design.

Evgeny Adamov, the scientific head of the “Prodor” (Proryv) project, noted that similar simulators do not exist anywhere in the world due to the unique design of the reactor itself, and that this system will be a key technical tool for staff training and regulatory licensing. The General Director of JSC VNIIAES, Konstantin Artemyev, added that the team created an adaptable simulation platform that will evolve in tandem with the development of the reactor block itself.

Project “Prodor” and the Closed Fuel Cycle

The lead-cooled fast reactor “BREST-OD-300”, with a power of 300 megawatts electric (MWe), represents the heart of Rosatom's strategic project “Prodor”. The aim of this program is the practical demonstration of a closed nuclear fuel cycle at a single site and currently represents one of the most technologically ambitious endeavors in the world.

In addition to the reactor itself, the pilot-demonstration energy complex in Seversk will also include a plant for fabrication and refabrication of mixed uranium-plutonium nitride nuclear fuel (MNUP) as well as a plant for processing spent nuclear fuel.

The initial operation of the demonstration block will focus exclusively on testing the performance and cooling technology with liquid lead. It is planned that after roughly ten years of operation the reactor will transition into a commercially oriented phase. If the 300-megawatt concept proves successful, Rosatom plans to develop a larger, commercial version with a power of 1,200 megawatts under the name “BREST-1200” (or somewhere: “BR-1200”).

Current construction status

Construction of the “BREST-OD-300” reactor began in June 2021, with the initial target to complete during 2026. In the past months, there has been significant engineering progress on the site: concreting the foundation for the turbine and generator has been completed, the roof truss for the machinery building hall has been installed, and a metal housing of the central reactor cavity, weighing 143 tons, over 14 meters high, with a diameter of 8 meters, as well as four peripheral housings have been installed.

Currently, intensive durability testing of the prototype of the main circulation pump is underway. This key system is tasked with pumping as much as 11 tons of molten lead per second, with the operating temperature of the fluid exceeding 420 degrees Celsius.

S.A.