The event was attended by Deputy CEO and Director of Innovations Management of ROSATOM Vyacheslav Pershukov, Ulyanovsk Region Governor Segey Morozov, Member of the State Duma of the Council of Federation of the Russian Federation and Chairman of the Board of the Nuclear Innovative Cluster of Dimitrovgrad Valery Yazev, CEO of Science & Innovations Alexander Tuzov, the management of the principal contractor Management Company Uralenergostroy LLC, heads of ROSATOM’s organizations participating in the implementation of the MBIR project.
“This is not a simple, it’s a marking event. NIIAR restores its primacy not only in Russia but all over the world. The leadership of ROSATOM long ago made a decision at all levels that this reactor (MBIR) is not for Russia only but for development of the world energy generation of the future. I am sure that we will complete the construction of MBIR reactor successfully and will celebrate start-up of the world’s most powerful research reactor,” Vyacheslav Persukov said at the ceremony.
“MBIR reactor, which most powerful of all operating, designed and built research fast neutron reactors in the world, will open a new page in the history of our institute, broaden the spectrum of experimental capabilities of the sector and create the base for the future International Research Center to support sustainable development of nuclear power in future,” Alexander Tuzov, Director of SRC NIIAR, noted.
The construction license for MBIR was granted to SRC NIIAR (managed by Science & Innovations) on May 8, 2015 for ten years. The principal contractor Management Company Uralenergostroy LLC already completed the pre-construction work on the MBIR construction site. The beginning of concreting the basemat of the reactor building opens the way for major construction work of MBIR, which are planned to complete by 2020.
It is assumed that the research nuclear installation MBIR will replace research fast neutron reactor BOR-60 built half a century ago and successfully operated through all these years in the territory of SRC NIIAR. Commissioning of MBIR will substantially expand experimental capabilities of the Russian nuclear sector and lay the technological basis for the International Research Center MBIR, which is established on ROSATOM’s initiative and supported by the Government of the Russian Federation.
Design and construction of the research reactor MBIR is carried out in the framework of the federal target program “Nuclear Power Technologies of the New Generation in 2010-2015 and until 2020." Technical characteristics and unique consumer properties of MBIR will allow solving a broad spectrum of topical research problems to justify long-term development of nuclear power and closing nuclear fuel cycle but also to test new technologies for radioisotope and modified material production.
The multi-purpose research installation includes MBIR reactor itself and a set of systems, components and experimental devices allowing to study new types of nuclear fuel, structural materials and various coolants. Design and construction of the research reactor MBIR is carried out in the framework of the federal target program “Nuclear Power Technologies of the New Generation in 2010-2015 and until 2020." Technical characteristics and unique consumer properties of MBIR will allow solving a broad spectrum of topical research problems to justify long-term development of nuclear power and closing nuclear fuel cycle but also to test new technologies for radioisotope and modified material production.
The work to pour the first concrete to the basemat of the reactor building was supported by the working documentation produced by the architect general of the multi-purpose research fast neutron reactor with sodium coolant, ATOMPROEKT. Presently, the company produces the working documentation to support construction of the nuclear installation.
