Innovative and safe supply of fuels for reactors

Abstract

Within the Euratom research and training program 2014–2018, three projects aiming at securing the fuel supply for European power and research reactors have been funded. Those three projects address the potential weaknesses – supplier diversity, provision of enriched fissile material – associated with the furbishing of nuclear fuels. First, the ESSANUF project, now terminated, resulted in the design and licensing of a fuel element for VVER-440 nuclear power plant manufactured by Westinghouse. The HERACLES-CP project aimed at preparing the conversion of high performance research reactor to low enriched uranium fuels by exploring fuels based on uranium-molybdenium. Finally, the LEU-FOREvER pursues the work initiated in HERACLES-CP, completing it by an exploration of the high-density silicide fuels, and including the diversification of fuel supplier for soviet designed European medium power research reactor. This paper describes the projects goals, structure and their achievements.