Russian Nuclear Power Plant Starts Using New Fuel

Russian Nuclear Power Plant Starts Using New Fuel

Aug 27 - BBC Monitoring Former Soviet Union

Text of report by Russian news agency ITAR-TASS

Novovoronezh (Voronezh Region), 27 August: Fuel of a new type has been uploaded to the Unit No 5 of the Novovoronezh nuclear power plant, where planned maintenance works are under way. The so-called uranium gadolinium fuel has been used at the plant for the first time ever, the unit's head Viktor Boldyrev told ITAR-TASS today.

Gadolinium crystals have been embedded in the uranium instead of special absorber rods, which are usually used to control the heat release, Boldyrev said. The new material allows to achieve a more balanced distribution of energy in the core. As a result, the usage of gadolinium allows to extend its non-stop run from 270 to 300 days.

"On the whole, the ultimate task for the unit's personnel during maintenance works was to work to increase its safety," Boldyrev said. A new fuel control system and new filter elements for emergency systems have been installed. All these measures are aimed at increasing the unit's planned service life, which ends in 2010. Similar kind of work was conducted at units No 3 and 4, which allowed to extend their service life by 15 years.

At present two of the power plant's units are operational. The radiation situation at the plant and the surrounding area is not higher than the background radiation.

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