Rosatom’s fuel company Tvel said on 2 June that Russia’s Presidential Council for Science and Education will consider Tvel’s plans to create robots for decommissioning nuclear facilities after the Council’s Coordinating Council for Priority Areas of Scientific and Technological Development, chaired by the President of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Academician Alexander Sergeev, had unanimously approved the project.
The initiative is aimed at creating a line of autonomous robotic systems for decommissioning nuclear facilities. Such systems will remove the need for workers to undertake work in hazardous areas – in rooms with a high level of radiation, near sources of radiation, or in aggressive chemical environments. The robotic equipment created within the framework of the project will be used both at Russian enterprises of the nuclear industry and abroad.
The project was presented by Tvel along with enterprises subordinate to the Ministry of Science and Higher Education. The next step will be approval by the Presidium of the Council. The implementation of the project can begin after the issuance of the corresponding order of the Government of Russia.
It is formulated as an integrated scientific and technical project involving a complete innovation cycle. This format is one of the main mechanisms for achieving results on scientific and technological development priorities set out in a Presidential decree in 2016. The project involves the implementation of all stages from obtaining new fundamental knowledge to its practical use, the development of technologies, products and services and their entry into the market.
It is planned to involve more than 20 organisations in the project incluiding enterprises of Rosatom, institutions subordinate to the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and leading specialised commercial companies. Tvel has already implemented 39 projects to decommission nuclear facilities. In 2019, Tvel was appointed an industry integrator for decommissioning nuclear and radiation hazardous facilities.
