Rosatom’s Fuel Division TVEL has fulfilled a contract with Institute of Nuclear Physics (INP) of Uzbekistan’s Academy of Sciences for the supply of modified nuclear fuel for the VVR-SM research reactor. The facility is used for research in nuclear physics, radiation materials science, activation analysis, mineral irradiation, and in the production of radioisotopes for medical and industrial purposes.
Dense uranium and uranium-silicide fuel produced by the Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant (NZKhK – Novosibirskii Zavod KhimConsentratov) has improved characteristics compared with the standard IRT-4M fuel cassettes previously supplied to Uzbekistan. The higher concentration of uranium makes possible a proportional increase in the duration of the reactor fuel campaign.
The supply of research reactor fuel is part of wider nuclear cooperation between Rosatom and Uzbekistan. The contract for construction of a NPP with Russian-design low-power RITM-200N reactors in the Jizzakh region was signed in May 2024. TVEL and INP have been co-operating on the decommissioning of nuclear facilities and radioactive waste management and the Tashkent branch of NRNU MEPhI has been teaching Uzbek students since 2019.
