Russia’s Production Association Mayak (part of state nuclear corporation Rosatom) has begun the planned removal of used nuclear fuel from two decommissioned AMB reactor units at the Beloyarsk NPP (Sverdlovsk Region), Interfax reported on 9 April. The contract for transportation and reprocessing of the used fuel at Mayak was concluded with Rosatom on 30 March and RUB304.4m ($4.9m) will be set aside to carry out these activities in 2018-2020. The worki is expected to be completed by 2023. Under the contract, the plant must ensure transportation and temporary technological storage of fuel in the storage facility of the RT-1 plant. A total of 68 cassettes of AMB used fuel will be removed, completely emptying the BV-2 pool at the AMB-100 and AMB-200 reactors. The cassettes will be placed in temporary storage at RT-1 pending further reprocessing. A pilot transport of used fuel from Beloyarsk NPP to Mayak was undertaken in 2016.
"In order to receive the long-length AMB casttes (14.5 metres) – the dimensions of the storage pool at the RT-1 plant were increased and new technology was developed for safe transportation by rail," a Mayak press officer said. She also added that at present work is underway within the federal target programme for construction of a complex for processing this type of used fuel. Beloyarsk NPP units N1 and N2, uranium-graphite channel reactors AMB-100 and AMB-200 were finally stopped in 1981 and 1989 and dismantling of their equipment began in 2016.
