Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- Rosatom’s fuel company TVEL and the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan have signed a contract for the supply of modified nuclear fuel for the WWR-SM research reactor.

Dense uranium and uranium-silicide fuel produced by the Novosibirsk Chemical Concentrates Plant has higher consumer characteristics compared to standard IRT-4M fuel assemblies previously supplied to Uzbekistan. Due to the higher concentration of uranium, a proportional increase in the duration of the fuel campaign can be ensured.

Deliveries of nuclear fuel to Uzbekistan will be carried out by the Fuel Company in 2022 and 2023.

“For all our customers, both large nuclear power plants and research facilities, we are constantly developing new solutions to improve the efficiency of reactors through the introduction of more efficient nuclear fuel. For our strategic partners from Uzbekistan, we are ready not only to ensure the supply of fuel until the end of the reactor’s life, but also to offer the best solutions that exist today for plants of this type,” emphasized the Senior Vice President for Commerce and International Business of TVEL JSC Oleg Grigoriev.

“Following the results of negotiations in Tashkent, we also identified potential areas of cooperation on scientific and technical cooperation between the Fuel Company and the Institute of Nuclear Physics, on the development of which we will begin to work in the near future,” said Senior Vice President for Scientific and Technical Activities of TVEL JSC Alexander Ugryumov.

“I am satisfied with the results of the visit of the delegation of the Rosatom Fuel Company TVEL. We had very interesting talks on expanding cooperation between our organizations. I am confident in strengthening and qualitatively raising the level of interaction between the Fuel Company and our institute,” said Ilkhom Sadikov, director of the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan.

The WWR-SM reactor is used for research in the field of nuclear physics, radiation materials science, activation analysis, irradiation of minerals, as well as in the production of radioisotopes for medical and industrial purposes. The previous contract for the supply of Russian nuclear fuel for this facility was signed in November 2017 in Tashkent in the presence of the prime ministers of the two countries.