Russia's 'closed loop' nuclear fuel hits key milestone for reactors

The Balakovo Nuclear Power Plant has successfully completed the third and final 18-month cycle of pilot industrial operation for Russia’s innovative REMIX nuclear fuel, marking a key milestone in its development. REMIX fuel, designed for light water thermal reactors like the VVER-1000, incorporates a mixture of regenerated uranium and plutonium recovered from reprocessed spent nuclear fuel, supplemented with enriched uranium. This fuel can be used in existing reactors without design changes or additional safety measures, offering a significant advancement by effectively closing the nuclear fuel cycle and expanding the resource base for nuclear energy. Since 2021, six Lead-test assemblies loaded with REMIX fuel have undergone irradiation, with the final three completing a full 54-month program and now slated for detailed post-irradiation studies at the Research Institute of Atomic Reactors. These studies aim to qualify and introduce uranium-plutonium VVER fuel commercially, with future development planned for assemblies containing depleted uranium and higher plutonium content. Safety inspections during operation showed