The Institute for Nuclear Fusion (INF) is involved in the development of the
International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor. In 1995, INF received
grant money from ISTC for this project.
The Institute of Molecular Physics helped develop
centrifuge technology in the 1950s.[1] It uses centrifuge cascades
to produce stable isotopes for the medical and agricultural industries
and for sale on the market. The Institute conducts research
on isotopes, the nuclear fuel cycle, and solid-state physics.[2]
The Institute has an MR reactor
and an IR-8 reactor. Main research involves reactor
vessel annealing to prolong reactor life. Annealing helps eliminate
radiation and heat in the reactor to prevent embrittlement. The program
is funded, and the Institute has been successful in developing this technology.
They have developed a process for annealing US reactors, but while such
technology is unavailable in the United States, there is not much interest
in acquiring it from Russia.
The Nuclear Safety Institute (NSI) was created in
1990 to conduct severe accident analysis research and code validation,
which involves upgrading Russian reactors to comply with international
standards. The NSI also participates in the Rasplav
project with the OECD and the United States.
The scientific and technological divisions are as follows:
More
than 1000kg of HEU in various forms, including 90% HEU.[1] Laboratory
quantities of plutonium are also present.[2]
This site participates in the US
Department of Energy MPCA program. As of February 2001, upgrades at six of
the 13 buildings on site had been completed or partially completed. (See
also DOE's 1997 and
1998 MPC&A documents for
the Kurchatov Institute.)
The waste storage facility at this site contains 1,200 cubic meters (2000t) of
waste with an activity of 100,000 Ci and approximately 900 spent fuel
assemblies (6t) with an activity of 3,000,000 Ci.[1] In February 2002, the Institute announced plans to remove the majority of the
dangerous radioactive waste to a Radon
facility near Sergiyev Posad.[2] The Kurchatov Institute has proposed building a new radwaste storage facility on Simushir
Island, one of the Kuril Islands in the Russian Far East. Russian environmental organizations and
Sakhalin Oblast authorities are critical of the proposed facility because it allegedly will
allow storage of imported nuclear waste
from Taiwan and Japan.[1,3]
10, four of which are not operational
-
| Table
I: Research Reactors, Kurchatov Institute, Moscow |
| Unit |
Type |
Power |
Fuel Enrichment |
Status |
| Argus |
homogeneous |
20kWt |
90% HEU |
operational |
| F-1 |
graphite |
24kWt |
natural uranium, 2% enriched |
operational |
| Gamma |
tank |
125kWt |
20% - 90% HEU |
operational |
| Gidra |
homogeneous |
pulsed |
90% HEU |
operational |
| IR-8 |
pool |
8-80MWt |
90% HEU |
operational |
| MR |
tank |
40-50MWt |
90% HEU |
not operational |
| OR |
tank |
300kWt |
36% HEU |
operational |
| RFT |
channel |
20MWt |
10-90% HEU |
not operational |
| Romashka |
homogeneous |
40kWt |
90% HEU |
not operational |
| VVR-2 |
tank |
3MWt |
2-36% HEU |
not operational |
|
Argus
homogeneous
20kWt
The Argus reactor core volume is 22 liters of UO2SO4
solution containing 1.71kg of 90% HEU.
operational
The Argus research reactor does not have
on-site fuel or radioactive waste storage facilities.
The Argus research reactor was designed by the
State Specialized Design Institute
and commissioned in 1981.[1] The reactor is
used for neutron radiography, neutron activation analysis, and for the
production of isotopes and nuclear filters.[2] The International
Nuclear Safety Center refers to this reactor as a mini-reactor for
laboratories, using neutronics methods of analysis and control.[3]
F-1
tank
24kWt
The F-1 reactor core contains 46,411kg of natural uranium in the form of
cylindrical metallic slugs, balls, and pellets of UO2 and U3O8,
plus about 41kg of 2% enriched uranium in the form of cylindrical
metallic slugs.
operational
The
F-1 does not have radioactive waste storage facilities.
The F-1 was designed by the State Specialized
Design Institute and commissioned on 26
December 1946, making it the first Soviet reactor and the world's
oldest operating reactor.[1,2] According to the International
Nuclear Safety Center, the F-1 was designed to produce plutonium.[3] The F-1 is used to calibrate neutron
flux detectors, to test new ionization chambers, and to certify neutron
radiation detectors.[2]
Gamma
tank
125kWt
The Gamma reactor core contains 69 fuel assemblies
composed of uranium alloy[1] containing approximately 4 - 8kg of 36 -
90% enriched uranium.[2]
operational
The Gamma research reactor has a 10m3 metallic container for
liquid radioactive waste. There is no solid radioactive waste at the
reactor.
The State Specialized Design Institute designed the
Gamma reactor,[1] which
reached criticality in 1982.[2] The Scientific
Production Association Krasnaya Zvezda
and the Experimental Machine Building
Design Bureau in Nizhniy Novgorod were the chief constructors.[1,3,4] The
reactor is used for fuel rod longevity tests.[5] The International
Nuclear Safety Center lists the Gamma unit as a marine nuclear power
facility.[6]
(Back to Kurchatov Institute
Research Reactor Table)
IIN-3M Gidra
homogeneous
10MWt (stationary); 4,000MWt (pulsed)
The IIN-3M Gidra reactor core volume is 40 liters of
UO2SO4 solution containing 3.44kg of 90% HEU.
operational
The Gidra research reactor does not have spent fuel or
radioactive waste storage facilities.
The IIN-3M Gidra was designed by the State Specialized Design
Institute and was commissioned in 1972.[1] It is
used for nuclear physics research, neutron activation analysis, and fuel
assembly tests under non-stationary conditions.[2] The International
Nuclear Safety Center refers to the Gidra as a pulsed nuclear reactor
operating on power bursts of fast neutrons.[3]
(Back to Kurchatov Institute
Research Reactor Table)
IR-8 (formerly
IRT)
pool
8MWt[1] The International Nuclear Safety
Center reports power output of up to 80MWt.[2]
The normal core loading for the IR-8 reactor is 16
fuel assemblies[1] of UO2-Al fuel containing 4.35kg of 90% HEU.[2]
operational
The IR-8 reactor storage pool has a capacity for 120
spent fuel assemblies and, as of 1996, contained 36 assemblies that had
been discharged from the reactor from 1989-1995. The total weight of
U-235 in the assemblies was 5.79kg.
The IRT pool-type reactor, which reached criticality in
1957, was shut down in 1979 and replaced by the IR-8.[1] The
IR-8 reached criticality on 1 August 1981.[2] The
State Specialized Design
Institute designed the reactor.[3] The reactor
is used for nuclear physics and solid state physics research, neutron-activation
analysis, neutron radiography, radiation tests of materials, and isotope
production.[1] In 1992, the
reactor was pulled off line for modernization because the
conditions at the reactor heat-exchange system did not conform to existing
safety standards.[4,5,6,7] Rossiyskaya gazeta reported that Gosatomnadzor
ordered a decommissioning of the IR-8 and MR reactors following a resolution
adopted by Mossovet (Moscow City Administration), which required their
shut down.[8] Pursuant to the summer 1995 decision of Gosatomnadzor, the
IR-8 was restarted on 18 April 1996 after a series of technical improvements
in the heat-exchange equipment.[7, 9]
(Back to Kurchatov Institute
Research Reactor Table)
MR
tank
40MWt
The normal core loading was 9kg of 90% HEU.
Shut down in 1993.
Spent fuel from the MR reactor was discharged and
placed in the reactor's dry storage facility, located in an
isolated room of a building near the MR reactor building. As of 1996,
the storage facility held 187 fuel assemblies containing 63.3kg of fissile
material.
The MR reactor was commissioned in 1963.[1] In 1967, it underwent reconstruction and was recommissioned
for the second time. The State Specialized Design Institute designed the
reactor.[2] The reactor was used for the
testing of reactor materials, for neutron radiography, and for isotope
production.[3] The
International Nuclear Safety Center (INSC) refers to the MR reactor as a
multi-loop research reactor.[4] Rossiyskaya gazeta reported that Gosatomnadzor ordered the decommissioning of the
IR-8 and MR reactors following a resolution adopted
by Mossovet (Moscow City Administration), which required that they be shut
down.[5] The MR reactor was shut down in 1993.[1]
(Back to Kurchatov Institute
Research Reactor Table)
OR
tank
300kWt
The OR reactor core loading is 3.8kg of 36% enriched
uranium.
operational
Radioactive
waste from the OR reactor is stored in VVR-2 reactor storage
facilities.
The OR research reactor was commissioned in 1989.
It is used to research and test neutron and gamma-radiation shields and to test
the radiation stability of nuclear reactor equipment.
(Back to Kurchatov Institute
Research Reactor Table)
RFT
channel
20MWt
The RFT operated on fuel composed of U-Mg, UO2-Mg,
and UO2-Al, with 10 - 90% enriched uranium.
Shut down in 1962.
Spent fuel (with initial enrichment of 10%) that accumulated from the RFT reactor
from 1953-1958 is kept in
the MR reactor dry storage facility.
The RFT reactor reached criticality in 1952 and was shut
down in 1962. It was used to test reactor materials, fuel
rods, and fuel assemblies for power and research reactors.
Romashka
homogeneous
40kWt
The Romashka operated on UC2 fuel with 90% HEU.
Shut down in 1966.
Spent fuel that accumulated during reactor operation from 1964 to 1966,
containing approximately 44.5kg of U-235, is stored in an on-site dry storage facility.
The Romashka reactor reached criticality in 1964 and was shut down
in 1966. The reactor was used to research the characteristics of
nuclear power reactors for direct energy conversion.
(Back to Kurchatov Institute
Research Reactor Table)
VVR-2
tank
3MWt
The VVR-2 reactor operated on UO2-Al fuel with 2%
enriched uranium and U-Al alloy fuel with 36% enriched uranium.
Shut down in 1983.
Spent fuel that accumulated during reactor operation
from 1956-1982 is kept in the VVR-2 spent fuel pond. This includes 2,657
fuel rods (with initial enrichment of 10%) and 1,447 fuel rods (with initial
enrichment of 36%). The total weight of fissile materials in the spent
fuel is 241.6kg.[1]
The State Specialized Design Institute designed the
reactor.[1] It was used for nuclear physics research.[2]
Both natural uranium and uranium enriched from 1.6% to 96%
are used in
critical assemblies at the Kurchatov Institute. The total amount of fuel contained in all
assemblies at the Kurchatov Institute is about 48,270kg.
-
-
|
Table II: Critical Assemblies, Kurchatov Institute, Moscow |
| Unit |
Type |
Power |
Fuel |
Status |
| Astra |
uranium-graphite |
100Wt |
21% enriched U |
operational |
| V-1000 |
uranium-water |
200Wt |
4.4% enriched U |
not operational |
| Delta |
uranium-water |
100Wt |
80-90% HEU |
operational |
| Efir-2M |
uranium-water |
100Wt |
90% HEU |
operational |
| Grog |
uranium-graphite |
100Wt |
7%, 10%, 90% enriched U |
operational |
| Iskra |
uranium-water |
199Wt |
90% HEU |
operational |
| Kvant |
uranium-water |
1000Wt |
90% HEU |
operational |
| Mayak |
uranium-water |
100Wt |
|
not operational |
| MR |
water-beryllium |
1000Wt |
90% HEU |
not operational |
| Nartsiss M2 |
uranium-hydride-
zirconium |
10Wt |
96% HEU |
operational |
| P |
uranium-water |
200Wt |
1.6% - 10% enriched U |
operational |
| RBMK |
channel; uranium-graphite |
25Wt |
.7% - 3.6% enriched U |
operational |
| SF-1 |
uranium-water |
100Wt |
90% HEU |
operational |
| SF-3 |
uranium-water |
100Wt |
21% and 90% enriched U |
not operational |
| SF-5 |
uranium-water |
100Wt |
24% and 36% enriched U |
not operational |
| SF-7 |
uranium-water |
100Wt |
80% HEU |
operational |
| SK-Physical |
uranium-water |
600Wt |
3.6% - 4.4% enriched U |
operational |
| Thermit |
experimental assembly |
|
|
operational |
| UG |
uranium-graphite |
100Wt |
.7% - 90% enriched U |
not operational |
|
Astra
uranium-graphite
100W
The Astra operates on UO2 fuel
with 21% enriched uranium.
Research
of uranium graphite reactor cores.[1] High
temperature gas-cooled reactor research.[2]
operational
Astra critical assembly became operational in 1981.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
V-1000
uranium-water
200W
The V-1000 operated on UO2 fuel
with up to 4.4% enriched uranium.
VVER-1000 reactor research
Shut down in 1998.
The V-1000 critical assembly became operational in 1986.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
Delta
uranium-water
100W
The Delta operates on UO2
fuel with 80 - 90% enriched uranium.
Critical
experiments and research of VVER reactor cores.
operational
The Delta critical assembly became operational in 1985.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
Efir-2M
uranium-water
100W
The Efir-2M operates on UO2-Al
fuel with 90% HEU.
VVER reactor core research
operational
The Efir-2M critical assembly became operational in 1973.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
Grog
uranium-graphite
100W
The Grog operates on UO2 fuel
with 7% and 10% enriched uranium.
Research of uranium-graphite reactor
cores.
operational
The Grog critical assembly became operational in 1980.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
Iskra
uranium-water
199W
Iskra operates on UAl alloy fuel with 90%
HEU.
Research of reactor cores of different compositions,[1] particularly those of
the channel and module type.[2] The Filin and Chayka critical
assemblies are components of Iskra.[2]
operational
The Iskra
critical assembly became operational in 1996.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
Kvant
uranium-water
1kW
The Kvant
operates on uranium intermetallic fuel with 90% HEU.
Research on VVER reactor cores and radiation detection and safety in multi-purpose VVER nuclear power
facilities;[1,2] naval research.[3]
operational
The Kvant
critical assembly became operational in 1990.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
Mayak
uranium-water
100W
UAl alloy
VVER reactor core research.
shut down
The Mayak critical assembly became
operational in 1967.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
MR
(FM MR)
water-beryllium
1000W
The MR operates on UAl alloy
fuel with 90% HEU in the form of tubes.
Simulation of MR reactor
core loading.
Shut down.
The MR critical assembly became operational in 1971.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
Nartsiss M2
Liquid metal-cooled reactor
10W
The Nartsiss M2 operates on UO2
fuel with 96% HEU.
Research on space reactors and reactor cores using uranium hydride-zirconium
fuel.[1,2]
operational
The Nartsiss M2 critical assembly became operational in
1983.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
P
uranium-water
200W
UO2 fuel with 1.6 - 10%
enriched uranium.
VVER reactor core research.
operational
The P critical assembly became operational in
1987.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
RBMK channel
30W
The RBMK operates on UO2 fuel with 2%
enriched uranium.[1] The normal core loading is 200kg of U-235.[2]
RBMK reactor core research[1] and simulation of the
loading of channel power reactors.[2]
operational
The RBMK critical assembly became operational in 1982.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
SF-1
uranium-water
100W
90% HEU
Research on VVER reactor cores.
operational
The SF-1 critical assembly became operational in 1972.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
SF-3
uranium-water
100Wt
The SF-3 operated on UZr alloy fuel with 90% HEU and
UO2 with 21% enriched uranium.
Research on VVER reactor
cores.
Shut
down in 1993.
The SF-3 critical assembly became
operational in 1979.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
SF-5
uranium hydride-zirconium
100Wt
The SF-5 operated on intermetallic fuel
with 24% and 36% enriched uranium.
Research of reactor cores
with uranium hydride-zirconium fuel.
Shut down in 1993.
This
critical assembly became operational in 1972.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
SF-7
uranium-water
100Wt
The SF-7 operates on UZr alloy fuel with
80% HEU.
Research
on VVER reactor cores.
operational
The SF-7 critical assembly became operational in 1975.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
SK-Physical
(SK-FIZ)
600Wt
The SK-Physical assembly operates on fuel
containing 3.6% - 4.4% enriched uranium.
Research on the physical characteristics of VVER-1000
reactor fuel.
operational
The SK-Physical assembly became operational in 1997.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
Thermit
Thermit is used to research yields from irradiated
fissile material at various temperatures.
operational
Thermit became
operational in 1990.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
UG
uranium-graphite, channel
100Wt
The UG
operated on fuel containing 0.7% - 90%
enriched uranium.
Uranium-graphite reactor research[1] and simulation of
the loading of channel production reactors.[2]
Shut down.
The UG critical assembly became
operational in 1965.
Back to Kurchatov Institute
Critical Assembly Table
Three, two are operational.
There is no information indicating which
assembly has been shut down.
Garantiya-2
RBM-K
VVER
(For recent major developments, see the Research Facilities
Developments file):
4/25/2003: REPORTS OF RADIOACTIVE
CONTAMINATION AT KURCHATOV DENIED
On 25 April 2003, a number of media outlets reported, quoting
anonymous sources in the medical community, that there was a radioactive leak at the Kurchatov Institute.[1]
Authorities denied the reports. The head of Minatom's
Intergovernmental Cooperation and Information
Policy Directorate, Nikolay Shingarev, issued a
statement saying that "there
have been no accidents or incidents involving radioactive contamination of the
environment at the Kurchatov Institute, or at other facilities or organizations
in Moscow."[1,2] This statement was supported by
Radon specialists, who
took more than 200 air and soil samples at the Institute and found that
the level of radiation was normal.[1,3] Kurchatov employees told journalists
from the Ekho Moskvy radio station that reports regarding radioactive leaks appear every year on the eve of
the anniversary of the Chornobyl accident.[3]
2/6/2003: US REJOINS ITER
PROJECT
US President George Bush has
decided that the US Department of Energy (DOE) will rejoin the
International Thermonuclear
Experimental Reactor (ITER)
project, after having abandoned its association with ITER in 1998. DOE says that project research could take up to 20 years, with
construction of an
experimental facility possibly beginning in 2006, and operations in 2014. Though DOE estimates its ITER contribution at $500 million over a 10 year
period, the full extent of US participation is to be determined during
negotiations. [For more information, see the
2/6/2003 entry in the
General Fuel Cycle Developments
file.
1/11/2003: KURCHATOV OPENS
COMPUTER TRAINING CENTER FOR FORMER WEAPON SCIENTISTS
On 11 January 2003, the Center for Software Training and Development was
opened at the Kurchatov Institute. The Center was created by the US
Department of Energy (DOE) and the Kurchatov Institute with assistance from the US
Industrial Coalition (a US nonprofit association of corporations and
universities) and the Fund for Assistance to Small Innovative
Enterprises (Russia). This project was implemented within the framework of the DOE's
Initiative for Proliferation Prevention (IPP)
program. The Center's mission is to provide training in software development to former
nuclear weapon scientists. The Center consists of
a training center and a software
company, Optima Program. The latter was created by the Kurchatov Institute; the
institute-based innovation and technology center, Kurchatov Technopark; Optima, a
private Russian company; and the US firm
CTG Software. The basic training program includes
courses on the C++ and Java programming languages, database management systems, and
software project management. Over a period of 2-3 years, the Center is expected
to train at least 500 scientists. Specialists trained at the Center will work
in the development of
commercial software for civilian applications. At the moment, the Center is
negotiating contracts for software development with IBM and a number of
US nuclear power plants.[1] As Kurchatov President Yevgeniy Velikhov noted at the opening ceremony, "what we expect from
the implementation of this project is a transition from the export of brains to
the export
of technologies."[2]
12/27/2002: KURCHATOV'S DIRECTOR OF
RESEARCH DEVELOPMENT DISCUSSES MANAGEMENT OF KURCHATOV WASTE
In an interview with Nuclear.ru, Kurchatov Institute Director of Research
Development Vladimir Asmolov discussed the disposal of radioactive waste
stored on Institute territory. Asmolov estimated
that primary deactivation would cost about $120 million. Current plans call
for the completion of the first phase of deactivation in five years. Highly
active, concentrated waste from reactors would be removed in its entirety.
Removal of contaminated soil, however, is more problematic, given the heavy
traffic in Moscow and large quantities to be removed. The preferred option
is soil decontamination. Minatom enterprises have developed special equipment that
can extract radioactive materials from soil. The process would result in the decontamination of nine out of ten
cubic meters of contaminated soil. The remaining concentrated waste (one tenth of the present quantities)
would be removed. Scientists estimate that these activities would decrease risks
to the local population by a factor of ten. Discussing the plans, Asmolov
also mentioned another way to manage the waste: embedding the entire area in
concrete. He insisted, though, that such a strategy would not solve the problem but pass
it on to the next generation.
10/29/2002: RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT
APPROVES CHANGES IN LEGAL STATUS OF KURCHATOV INSTITUTE
The Russian Government has accepted a
Minatom proposal to change the legal status of
the Kurchatov Institute from "federal
scientific and research organization- state enterprise" to "federal state
institution."[1] Decree No. 788 of 29 November 2002 approves the new
Charter of the Institute.[2] According to the Charter, the president of the
Institute is nominated by the Ministry of Atomic Energy and approved by the
government for a five-year term. The Scientific Council, an advisory body, receives
some legislative powers.[3] The Institute has the right to establish
subsidiaries and non-profit organizations, and to sign legal contracts that comply
with Russian legislation and the mission of the Institute.[2]
2/28/2002: KURCHATOV INSTITUTE AND SANDIA TO
COLLABORATE ON NUCLEAR ENERGY REPORT
The Kurchatov Institute and the United States' Sandia National
Laboratory have announced plans to prepare a joint report on the future role of nuclear power. The goal of the joint project is
to convince the US and Russian presidents to lead an initiative aimed at a
worldwide nuclear power renaissance. In mid-February 2002, US and
Russian scientists held two teleconferences discussing details of their joint
initiative. These discussions were followed by the visit of Kurchatov
Institute President Yevgeniy P. Velikhov to Sandia, where he made a formal
proposal for cooperation. The two organizations agreed to prepare a joint report
to be published in April 2002.[1,2,3]
2/2002: KURCHATOV TO MOVE WASTE
TO RADON
The Kurchatov Institute plans to start removing
radioactive waste from
the institute site in 2002 using funds from
Minatom and the Moscow city government.[1] According to Moskovskiy
komsomolets, the waste will be removed over the next several years in
special vans to temporary storage at the
Radon site near Sergiyev Posad.[2]
The announcement regarding waste removal came after Radon monitoring posts in northern Moscow
registered the presence of iodine-131 on 13 February 2002. Kurchatov Institute officials insist that
the institute's
nuclear facilities are not leaking and that the decision to remove waste was made long
before this incident.[1]
10/15-26/2001: CONTRACTS SIGNED ON CONSTRUCTION
OF KOLA TECHNICAL CENTER
During its 15-26 October 2001 visit to the Kurchatov
Institute, a US delegation, consisting of DOE
officials and experts from the Oak
Ridge National Laboratory and Pacific
Northwest National Laboratory, signed contracts concerning the design of the
Kola Technical Center. The center will provide technical support
for MPC&A
activities on the Kola Peninsula and will be staffed by navy and local
civilian personnel. It will also provide facilities for training
purposes, spare parts storage for MPC&A equipment, and minor
equipment repair. Construction is supposed to start in spring 2002; the
center should start operations by spring 2003. The Kola Technical Center
will become a pilot project for the development of two other technical centers
in Vladivostok and Kamchatka.
8/21/2001: KURCHATOV INSTITUTE TO RECEIVE MONEY FOR ITER PROJECT
On 21 August 2001, the Russian Government approved
details of Russia's participation in the international thermonuclear reactor
(ITER) project.[1] The Kurchatov Institute will receive approximately 20% of
860 million rubles ($29.3 million as of August 2001) allocated by the Russian Government
from 2002 to 2005 for
ITER. The Kurchatov
Institute will contribute technical expertise and equipment to the ITER project.[2] Meanwhile,
Kurchatov Institute Vice-President Nikolay
Ponomarev-Stepnoy expressed his disagreement with the
Ministry of Atomic
Energy's backing of the BREST fast-breeder reactor program, developed by
Scientific
Research and Design Institute of Energy Technologies (NIKIET), as the future
for Russian nuclear power industry. Ponomarev-Stepnoy said that BREST reactors are dangerous from
the standpoint of nonproliferation. Moreover, according to Ponomarev-Stepnoy, BREST technology
is only at the
initial stage of development.[3]
7/2001: KURCHATOV INSTITUTE EXPERTS DISCOVER FLAW IN US NUCLEAR MATERIALS CONTROL SOFTWARE
In an 11 July 2001 op-ed published in the Washington Post,
President of the Center for Defense Information Bruce
Blair wrote that Kurchatov Institute experts had found a critical deficiency in
US software used to keep track of nuclear materials. The Microsoft SQL Server
software was donated to the Kurchatov Institute by the Los Alamos National
Laboratory. According to Blair, this software has been the
"backbone" of the US nuclear materials control system for many years.
Kurchatov Institute experts discovered that the use of this software results
in some files becoming inaccessible or invisible to nuclear accountants.
This may lead to diversion of nuclear materials by insiders familiar with this
software flaw. After discovering the flaw in early 2000, the Kurchatov Institute informed
US officials about the problems. According to Blair, US officials have tried to
downplay the Russian discovery.[1] DOE and
Microsoft officials said the problems have been fixed and denied that US and Russian nuclear
data was ever in danger of being lost. A spokesman for the National
Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) said that the US and Russian systems
were not the same and that the Microsoft bugs have been addressed.[2]
According to Blair,
however, Russian experts have discovered security
flaws in a subsequent version of Microsoft software sent to them by their US counterparts.[1]
7/2001: KURCHATOV INSTITUTE CONDUCTED ILLEGAL EXPERIMENTS
AT RUSSIAN NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
The Russian
Federal Security Service established that from 1992 to 1998 Kurchatov Institute scientists and
Novovoronezh nuclear power plant
(NPP) specialists conducted unauthorized experiments at one of the NPP's reactors.
These experiments could have led to a major accident at the power plant.[1]
According to the television station TV6, the work was financed by
a well-known Western firm.[2] Kurchatov
Institute scientists designed steel containers, which then were covertly placed into
one of the NPP's reactor cores for irradiation, without the knowledge and
consent of the power plant's management.
The illegal activities were discovered in 1999 when the
reactor was stopped for maintenance. The steel containers were
partially destroyed as a result of being inappropriately placed into the
reactor core.[1] Metal fragments from the containers got into reactor's first circuit,
which could
have led to a
serious accident.[2,3] Novyye izvestiya reported on 2 July 2001 that the case
was dismissed by law enforcement agencies because, according to investigators,
these activities did not constitute a crime under Russian law. The newspaper
suggested that lobbying by Minatom contributed to the dismissal.[3]
6/2001: KURCHATOV INSTITUTE PARTICIPATES IN EXHIBITION IN
CHINA
From 15 to 21 June 2001, the Kurchatov Institute
participated in the exhibition "Russian-Chinese High and Latest Technologies -
2001," which took place in Harbin, China. The Kurchatov Institute demonstrated its
latest achievements, including membrane gas separation technologies. Foreign businesses
expressed their interest in acquiring these products.
4/11/2001: KURCHATOV INSTITUTE SUPPORTS IMPORTING
FOREIGN SPENT FUEL
On 11 April 2001, the official Russian newspaper Rossiyskaya gazeta published an open letter from Kurchatov
Institute
President Yevgeniy Velikhov and senior members of the institute's administration to members of
the Russian State Duma. In the letter institute administrators
expressed their support for legislation that would allow the import of foreign irradiated fuel to Russia.
The letter stressed the necessity of cleaning up radioactive waste that has accumulated at
the institute and acknowledged the lack of funds for such a task.
According to the letter's authors, technologies developed by the Kurchatov Institute for storing and handling irradiated fuel
could bring in revenues necessary to address domestic nuclear waste and
environmental problems.
9/29/2000: SPENT NUCLEAR FUEL AND
REACTOR AT MOSCOW'S KURCHATOV INSTITUTE EXPENSIVE PROBLEM
At a briefing on 29 September 2000, First Deputy Minister of Atomic Energy Valentin
Ivanov said that handling the nuclear reactor and accumulated nuclear fuel at the
Kurchatov Institute, located in central Moscow,
will be expensive. Ivanov stated that it will cost $130 million just to transport and store the 60t of nuclear fuel accumulated at the reactor since it was designed in the
late 1950s.
6/3/2000: UNDERGROUND NPPS PROPOSED FOR KALININGRAD
OBLAST
According to Kaliningradskaya pravda, the
Kurchatov Institute is seeking a suitable site in Kaliningrad Oblast to construct
an underground nuclear power plant. The newspaper notes that there has
been no public discussion of the plan. For more information on plans
to construct underground NPPs, see the 6/3/2000
entry in the Nuclear Power
Developments section.
3/30/2000: KURCHATOV COMPLETES DATABASE ON RADIATION
SOURCES
On 30 March 2000 Anatoliy Alekseyevich Iskra, head
of Minatom's Environmental Protection
Laboratory, announced the creation of a radioactive waste site database.[1]
Iskra, head of the database project, said that the computer database would
be Internet-accessible; at present the database is being maintained by
Minatom's Geoinformation Center, and is only available on Minatom's own
Intranet computer network.[1,2] The database includes information on all
actual and potential radioactive sites in the former USSR, including nuclear
power plants, Ministry of Defense storage sites for naval fuel, nuclear
explosions, extraction and enrichment of uranium ore, and production of
nuclear fuel and nuclear materials.[1,3] The project, which cost
$630,000, was financed by the the International
Science and Technology Center(ISTC). Project researchers identified
the twelve most unsafe regions in Russia, including naval
facilities in the northwest, Moscow, Moscow Oblast, and Krasnoyarsk
Kray.[3]
5/25/99: KURCHATOV INSTITUTE
TO SELL MINI-NPPs TO KORYAK OKRUG
According to Lev Boytsov, Chairman of the Kamchatka
Oblast Council, the administration of the Koryak National Autonomous Okrug
and Kurchatov Institute reached a preliminary agreement on the purchase
of 10 "mini" nuclear power plants designed by Kurchatov Institute, each
with a capacity of 2MW. The deal was proposed by Koryak National Autonomous
Okrug Governor Valentina Bronevich in May 1999. The Kamchatka Oblast authorities
hope that the 4m by 8m mini-NPPs will help resolve local energy problems.[1]
According to Minatom officials, the new mini-NPPs will use a new type of
fuel, which will make them environmentally safe. The personnel of the mini-NPP
may consist only of one person. However, Vremya MN reports that
it will take two to four years to put these NPPs into operation.[2]
4/14/99: KURCHATOV UNABLE TO WITHDRAW FUNDS FROM SBS-AGRO BANK
The collapse of SBS-Agro Bank has caused serious problems at the Kurchatov
Institute. The Kurchatov Institute is unable to withdraw funds from
the bank, including funds for international projects such as research on
the consequences of Chornobyl and development work on nuclear safety; in
addition, according to Kurchatov scientist Sergey Zverev, institute scientists
and employees are unable to withdraw their own personal funds. Because
of concerns that scientists could attempt to earn money through "unconstructive"
activities, the Kurchatov Institute and the Russian branch of Greenpeace
have called on the state to secure the return of money deposited in SBS-Agro
Bank to the institute and its employees.
9/19/98: REACTOR REMOVAL PROJECT APPROVED BUT NOT FUNDED
On 28 July 1998, the Russian government approved a proposal to dismantle
the research reactors at the Kurchatov Institute. The Russian federal
and Moscow city governments are cooperating with the institute on this
project to remove its seven research reactors, all of which have exceeded
their service lives. Measurements taken in July 1998 indicate that
although the radiation background is a normal 15 microroentgens per hour,
in some places it is up to 200 microroentgens per hour. This may
be a factor in the decision to overhaul the reactors. The main priorities
before 2005 are to remove the three most dangerous reactors: MR,
VVR-2,
and RR. (Note: staff found no mention of this reactor. It could be another
name for reactor OR). Plans include removing 3,500-4,000
cubic meters of nuclear waste. The Radon
scientific production association will be responsible for transporting
spent nuclear fuel to Mayak
and dismantled reactors to repositories in Sergiyev Posad and Elektrostal.[1]
The cost of dismantling, transport, and clean-up is estimated at 750 million
rubles (approximately $44 million). The project can only proceed if the
federal government allocates 330 million rubles (approximately 18 million)
for this purpose.[2] After meeting with Moscow mayor Yuriy Luzhkov
on 19 September 1998, Minister of Atomic Energy Yevgeniy Adamov told Interfax
that Moscow authorities pledged to continue cooperation with the Ministry
on the project. Negotiations will resume at the end of the year.[3]
5/12/98: NRC CUTS PROGRAMS, CONTINUES SAFETY PROJECT
As part of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission's
ongoing cooperation with the Kurchatov Institute, the Institute has received
approval from the NRC to test VVER reactor fuel cladding for temperatures
and strain rates during reactivity and loss-of-coolant accidents.
The NRC FY 1998 funding for collaboration with Russia fell by half to $200,000
from the 1997 amount. Code development programs have been cut, while
reactor maintenance experiments will continue. Since 1992, the Kurchatov
Institute and the Nuclear Safety Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences
have conducted research for the NRC in the following areas: code development
and assessment, hydrogen combustion experiments, evaluation of high-burnup
fuel test data, in-vessel debris coolability experiments, and development
of concrete containment failure criteria.
11/97: RADIATION CHECK AT KURCHATOV INSTITUTE
NPO Radon, the Inspectorate for Radiation Control and Physical Impact Factors
of Moskompriroda (Moscow's Environmental Protection Agency), and Gossannadzor
(State Health Inspectorate) have completed a series of checks of
facilities that are radiation and nuclear hazards in Moscow. The
tests were done as part of an integrated preventive program to examine
Moscow's industrial and research facilities.[1,2,3,4] Specialists
checked the radionuclide content of emissions of radioactive substances
into the environment, the creation of nuclear waste, and compliance with
regulations regarding storing and transporting radioactive materials, sources
of ionizing radiation, and waste.[2] Experts concluded that nuclear-related
activity at the Kurchatov Institute has not caused harmful changes in the
radiation background; they also confirmed that solid radioactive waste
is regularly transported off the premises by specialized vehicles.
Radioactive emissions into the atmosphere do not exceed 5 percent of the
maximum permitted concentration. The background radiation level
at the Institute (approximately 10-20 microroentgens/hour) is equal to
the average level in Moscow. However, the inspection detected several
locations at the Institute with levels in excess of the gamma radiation
background. Measures were taken to neutralize the excessive radiation.[1,2]
The Kurchatov Institute was ranked second among the six facilities investigated
in terms of their environmental "cleanliness" and compliance with radiation
safety requirements.[2] However, Vladimir Kuznetsov, a State Duma
expert on nuclear and radiation safety issues and former chief of Gosatomnadzor's
Moscow division, expressed concerns about the present situation at the
Kurchatov Institute. He said that accidents often happened there,
resulting in radioactive pollution of the atmosphere. He also maintained
that in 1972 three people died at the Institute as a result of a nuclear
accident.[3] Oleg Polskiy, deputy director of NPO Radon, said he
considered the Institute to be the most dangerous location in Moscow in
terms of nuclear and radiation hazards and did not rule out the possibility
that an accident could occur. Polskiy said it was wrong to have nuclear
facilities in the city, though he acknowledged that a lot had been done
to improve safety at the Institute.[5]
6/97: RUSSIAN-US JOINT PROJECT ON THORIUM REACTOR
The United States has provided funding for a project at Kurchatov Institute
to develop a "Non-Proliferative Light-Water Thorium Reactor" that would
not produce weapons-usable plutonium. The project is based on research
work conducted in Israel by Alvin Radkowsky, a former chief scientist of
the US Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, who holds a US patent for a reactor
of which the core is made up to 60 per cent of thorium. According
to one US nuclear expert, the project contributes to US non-proliferation
efforts by providing work for Russian nuclear experts.
4/97: KURCHATOV'S PHYSICISTS CREATE COMMERCIAL VENTURE
In order to supplement the Institute's income, a specialized division that
monitors the air and water at nuclear reactors, test sites, and military
divisions has expanded its activities to include conducting comprehensive
environmental inspections of residences and business offices.
4/97: UNDERFUNDING CREATES CRITICAL SITUATION AT KURCHATOV INSTITUTE
In an interview with Sovetskaya Rossiya, Kurchatov Institute Director
Aleksandr Rumyantsev discussed problems at the Institute. Underfunding
has created a critical situation that could lead to a rupture of pipelines
at the Institute, the discharge of radioactive waste into the Moskva River,
and to the subsequent serious contamination of Moscow and Moscow Oblast.
An oversight committee that checked radiation safety at the Institute found
the situation to be dangerous. The waste system is old and worn out.
Corroded pipes, cables, worn out electrical equipment, and leaking roofs
have become constant safety problems. In June 1996, the main water
pipeline had to be shut off. Facilities had to switch to a reserve
water system whose service life has expired. On 14 April 1997, there
was an accident in the industrial water pipeline. An emergency shutdown
of the research reactors was necessary. The overall cost of repair
work to the pipelines is estimated at 150 billion rubles.[1] Taking
into consideration the critical situation and its possible consequences,
the State Duma has instructed the Russian Federation government, in collaboration
with executive entities of the Russian Federation, to draft a federal program
to ensure radiation safety at the facility.[2] Rumyantsev said
that in late March and early April, all staff underwent special training
to ensure radiation safety at the facilities. Some experts believe
in the future it will be necessary to close the facility to ensure Moscow's
safety.[3] As of the beginning of February 1997, wages for Kurchatov
Institute employees were almost four months in arrears, although in mid-February
1997 their salary for October 1996 and part of November 1996 was paid.[4]
According to Andrey Gagarinskiy, the Institute's external affairs director,
the situation at the Institute remained critical as of March 1997.[5]
1997: KURCHATOV DESIGNS EXPORT CONTROL DATABASE
According to a Kurchatov Institute scientist, the
institute designed a database on export controls for Minatom. The
database includes information on the NPT signatory status of several countries
and on rules regarding the sale of certain products, such as dual-use technology.
The database helps ascertain what forms to use to obtain permission for
exports from the Export Control
Commission. The Customs Service has also expressed an interest in
consulting with the Institute. The Institute's influence on export
control policy depends on the timing of the issue and the particular
situation, and the institute will provide official comments or recommendations
only when asked.
1997: CORE MELTDOWN EXPERIMENT: INITIAL RESULTS
The Spring 1997 issue of the NEA Newsletter printed a summary of
the initial results of the OECD NEA-sponsored Rasplav project. The goal
of the project, which is being conducted at the Kurchatov Institute, is
to develop ways to maintain the integrity of a reactor pressure vessel
during a "severe accident" by simulating meltdown conditions. Among the
experiments performed were two tests using a 200-kg mass of corium, two
tests using 12-kg and 40-kg masses of corium, ten tests using molten salt,
and numerous small-scale experiments to measure material properties and
material interactions. Corium, consisting of 81.5 percent uranium dioxide,
5 percent zirconium dioxide, and 13.5 percent zirconium, is used as a simulation
of the molten fuel in the reactor core following a meltdown. While the
project was unable to perform the number of tests that were planned, it
did provide important information and necessary experience for handling
real materials in accident conditions. Specifically, the program
led to the development of unique heating techniques, structural materials,
instruments, measuring equipment, and analytical tools. Rasplav participants
were able to measure the physical properties of various molten corium compositions,
material interaction between molten corium and structural materials, and
the heat transfer rate to the reactor pressure vessel test wall; after
the tests, they also analyzed chemical reactions between the melt constituents
and between the melt and the vessel wall. The experiment confirmed
that ex-vessel flooding is a valid means of retaining a molten reactor
core in the reactor pressure vessel. It has been suggested that a follow-up
Rasplav program be conducted, which would study the effects of different
corium compositions, the potential for (and effects of) material stratification,
and the effects of variations in boundary conditions.
12/96: KURCHATOV INSTITUTE SIGNS COOPERATION AGREEMENT WITH FRANCE
ON NUCLEAR MATERIALS CONTROL
The Kurchatov Institute and France's Institute of Nuclear Protection and
Safety (IPSN) signed an agreement to work together to strengthen control
over nuclear materials. The institutes will cooperate by exchanging technological
information and experience in monitoring and detecting nuclear materials.
10/9/96: FIRST CORE MELTDOWN EXPERIMENT CONDUCTED AT KURCHATOV
The first simulated core meltdown test was conducted at the Kurchatov Institute
as part of the international Rasplav project in Moscow. The test used 200
kg of simulated corium, which consists of products presumed to be present
during a reactor core meltdown. The simulated corium consisted of 81.5
percent uranium dioxide, 5 percent zirconium dioxide, and 13.5 percent
zirconium. The materials were heated to 2500 degrees Celsius and brought
into contact with the lower head of a pressure vessel, modeled after Western
reactors. Future tests will use the Russian style reactor to simulate experiments.[1]
Through external cooling of the reactor, the integrity of the pressure
vessel was sustained during the experiment. The test aims to maintain vessel
function in the event of a core meltdown and loss of coolant.[2] The Rasplav
program began in July 1994 as a joint research project between the OECD
Nuclear Energy Agency and Russia. The three-year, $6.9 million Rasplav
is the largest project focusing on the corium-pressure vessel interaction.
The results of the project's experiments will be put into a database to
help researchers develop better systems to deal with severe accidents,
such as the type simulated in the Rasplav experiments.[1]
4/96: COOPERATION RESULTED IN ENHANCED MPC&A
In 1994 the US Department of Energy initiated a US-Russian cooperative
MPC&A lab-to-lab program which involved US national laboratories including
Los Alamos, Sandia, Livermore, Brookhaven, Pacific Northwest, and Oak Ridge
Laboratories and Russian nuclear institutes. One of the three pilot projects
was launched at the Kurchatov Institute and resulted in enhancement of
the Institute's MPC&A for Building 116, the location of two critical
assemblies with HEU used for civilian nuclear reactor research. Specific
areas of cooperation included the following: development and testing of
automated MPC&A, design and implementation of physical inventory methods
for complex nuclear facilities, modernization of physical protection of
nuclear materials, development and testing of remote monitoring systems,
development of scientific and technological support systems for export
control. Eleron, a Russian enterprise specializing in physical protection,
supplied most of the new MPC&A equipment.
4/1/95: US LAB ASSISTS INSTALLATION OF REMOTE MONITORING SYSTEM
Officials of the Kurchatov Institute and the US Argonne-West laboratory
jointly tested a remote monitoring system, composed of sensors and video
cameras, to ensure the safety and security of the two facilities' stockpiles
of weapons-grade plutonium and uranium. Building 206, where 70 kg of highly-enriched
uranium (HEU) are stored, was selected for the test. Spent fuel at 206
is stored in an underground vault filled with water while fresh
nuclear material is stored in six storage containers and in a storage cabinet.
The monitoring system consists of a number of sensors, including door monitors,
microwave and infrared volumetric sensors, item motion and fiber loop seals
with the authenticated item monitoring system (AIMS) radio frequency communications,
break beam monitor, video cameras for image snapshots, AC power monitors,
and a data acquisition system (DAS). All sensors communicate over the "Echelon
network." The DAS performs data acquisition, storage and long-term archiving
of event and image data to an optical storage disk. The types and configuration
of sensors were based on site specifications. Data transfer is accomplished
via dedicated, commercial telephone access. The system is seen as a potential
deterrent to theft and as a cost-effective method of ensuring safety and
security while reducing the need for costly inspections. The joint experiment
was planned to last six months.
3/95: KURCHATOV INSTITUTE WASTE PRODUCTION
In an interview published in Kuranty, Vladimir Kuznetsov, Director
of the Chernobyl Safety Foundation's Russian Information and Analysis Center
for Prevention of Accidents at Nuclear Power Generation Facilities, said
that in 1993 the Kurchatov Institute created 189.6 tons of radioactive
waste. He also said that the Institute's spent fuel storage capacity at
80-90 percent capacity.
3/31/95: UNITED STATES AND RUSSIA WORKING ON EXPERIMENTAL MONITORING
SYSTEM
According to the US Department of Energy (DOE), the United States and Russia
are collaborating on an experimental system that monitors fissile materials
remotely through the use of automatic cameras and sensors in the storage
areas. Argonne National Laboratory and the Kurchatov Institute are both
working on the project and the system will first be put into use at these
two facilities.
3/30/95: AMOUNT OF HEU AT KURCHATOV INSTITUTE IS REPORTED
It was reported that Building 116 at the Kurchatov Institute contains approximately
70 kg of HEU. According to Russian sources, the uranium is enriched to
90 percent. The uranium is in the shape of disks the size of a large coin
and was designed for use in space reactors.
3/15-27/95: NEW MONITORING SYSTEM INSTALLED
The US-Russia lab-to-lab funded remote monitoring system was installed
at Building 206, Kurchatov Institute. Kurchatov personnel installed cabling
and sensors and provided general support to Sandia National Laboratory
(US) personnel. Sandia personnel installed the computers and software.
1994: KURCHATOV DEVELOPS SPACE NUCLEAR REACTOR
The Kurchatov Institute, along with the Central Design
Bureau of Machine Building in St. Petersburg, developed the Topaz II
advanced space nuclear reactor. The Topaz reactor, the result of investments
in space nuclear power during the 1970s and 1980s, is designed to provide
power to satellites that need more electricity than can be provided by solar
panels. Satellites using such reactors include space-based radar satellites
for military use, high-powered communications satellites, and deep-space
probes. In a joint Russian-US research project, a total of six Topaz II
reactors were shipped to the United States: two in 1992 and four in 1994. As
part of the cooperative effort, a team of Russian researchers moved to New
Mexico to work on the project.[1,2]
8/15/94: EURATOM FUNDS AND CONTROL ASSISTANCE WILL BE GIVEN TO KURCHATOV
INSTITUTE PENDING EC APPROVAL
The Directorate of Euratom Safeguards will work with Russian officials
to prepare a new system of nuclear safeguards designed specifically for
Russia. A group of nuclear materials inventory specialists will attend
a meeting this fall to prepare a simulation for an MPC&A system. This
group of experts will also visit a number of fuel-cycle facilities under
Euratom safeguards. The EC has budgeted one million ECU (US$1.2 million)
for Euratom training exercises such as these visits. Euratom experts have
already attended several conferences with Russian officials. As follow-up
to the meetings, Russian and Euratom experts will conduct a physical inventory
of two reactors at the Kurchatov Institute in Moscow. The first inventory
will be conducted by Gosatomnadzor (GAN) and should be completed by November
1994. The second inventory will be performed by mid-1995. Euratom will
also aid the Russians in the creation of inventory and verification document
procedures that will be modified for specific Russian facilities. Safeguard
cooperation projects with Russia will cost approximately 1.8 million ECU
(US$2.2 million) but the EC has not approved Euratom's funding request.
Euratom is coordinating its efforts with the US Department of Energy (DOE)
so as to avoid duplication of projects. A one-day training DOE training
session for Russian scientists is to be held at Euratom safeguards headquarters
in Luxembourg in September.
10/94: INSTITUTE FACILITIES AND URANIUM STATISTICS ARE REPORTED
Dr. Vladimir Sukhoruchkin of the Kurchatov Institute said that in addition
to having "35 facilities, 7 research reactors, 9 storage areas, 44 hot
chambers, and a number of waste materials areas," the institute also possesses
50 tons of natural uranium, 50 tons of LEU, and several hundred kilograms
of HEU.
12/93: INSTITUTE INITIATES PLAN FOR MATERIALS CONTROL
The Kurchatov Institute has drafted a control system over nuclear materials,
according to the vice-president of the Kurchatov Institute Academician
Nikolay Ponomarev-Stepnoy. The announcement was made at a press conference
on 10 December 1993. While admitting that "misappropriations of atomic material"
had occurred at other science centers, Ponomarev-Stepnoy maintained that
no such problems had occurred at Kurchatov, but that the situation remained
dangerous. Currently, control over nuclear material is based on data from
the accounting department. In the future, physical measurements will be
used to take inventory of the nuclear material on a "regular basis."
Last updated 8 July 2004
For recent major developments, see the Research Facilities
Developments file.
Comments or questions? Contact Kenley Butler at MIIS CNS:
kenley.butlerATmiis.edu
This material is produced independently for NTI
by the Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the
Monterey Institute of International Studies and
does not necessarily reflect the opinions of and has
not been independently verified by NTI or its directors, officers,
employees, agents. Copyright © 2002 by MIIS.
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