Modernisation of Russian Research Reactor PIK Approved

Russia’s Glavgosexpertiza experts have approved the project for the modernisation of the PIK reactor at St Petersburg Nuclear Physics Institute (PNPI), part of the Kurchatov Institute National Research Centre.

The project documentation and the results of engineering surveys for retrofitting and selective targeted replacement of equipment and system elements of the complex were reviewed by experts from Glavgosexpertiza and positively evaluated.

The work is being carried out within the framework of the federal target programme “Research and Development in Priority Areas of Development of the Scientific and Technological Complex of Russia for 2014-2020“.

The project includes modernisation of equipment for systems for handling radioactive substances and waste, technological processes and equipment for handling systems for nuclear fuel, fresh nuclear fuel, modernisation of lifting mechanisms, a complex of protective (hot) chambers and pneumatic mail and several other improvements.

PIK’s construction began in 1976, but work stopped after the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear plant in 1986.

Then, construction resumed in 2001 and in 2011, a physical launch was carried out at zero power.

The high flux PIK reactor will join three other such facilities worldwide the 45MW High Flux Reactor in Petten (Netherlands), the upgraded 85MW High Flux Isotope Reactor at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (USA), and the 20MW Heinz Maier-Leibnitz FRM II (Germany).

More details in the Glavgosexperta Press Release and in the Nuclear Engineering International article.