Framatome is a French nuclear reactor company. They are collaborating with the Technical University of Munich (TUM) in the commercial deployment of a new nuclear research reactor fuel based on an alloy that is composed of uranium and molybdenum (U-Mo). This new fuel can be used in place of highly enriched uranium (HEU) which will reduce the risk of nuclear proliferation.
Framatome and TUM will work together to design and installe the manufacturing production line that will produce the new fuel. The work will take place at the CERCA Research and Innovation Lab (CRIL), located at Framatome's site in Romans-sur-Isère in the Drôme department of southeastern France. Framatome fabricates fuel elements for research reactors at CERCA. CRIL is new laboratory for research and development. It is dedicated to improving the fabrication of nuclear fuels for medical, research and sterilization applications.
The Framatome/TUM team plans to set up an operational U-Mo fuel production line in early 2021. The first prototypes are scheduled for production in 2022. TUM, Framatome, the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA), the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) and the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK-CEN) will be involved in the irradiation of various materials.
François Gauché is the director of Framatome's CERCA business line. He said, "By producing this new fuel for TUM, Framatome allows research reactors to maintain performance while using low-enriched uranium (LEU). We look forward to advancing this fuel technology and developing a new fuel option for research reactors."
Peter Müller-Buschbaum is the scientific director of TUM's FRM II nuclear research reactor. He said, "TUM and Framatome's collaboration on the development of this new fuel guarantees a reliable and efficient source of neutrons for research, industry and medicine. This fuel is an essential tool for the development of science in Germany."
Framatome announced last month that it was the recipient of a multi-million-euro contract to modernize the crane instrumentation and control systems at the FRM II research reactor. The crane systems support a variety of activities including neutron experiments, maintenance. waste treatment and the handling of nuclear fuel. The modernization project involves the dismantling of existing components, the construction of four new cranes and the implementation of a new automated control system. The project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2022. The FRM II research reactor was constructed by Framatome and the companies that preceded it. It began operations in 2004. It is considered to be the most powerful and modern of all commercial neutron sources.
The international community is seriously focused on minimizing the global amount of HEU because it could be used to make nuclear bombs or dirty bombs. Many research reactors are being converted to burn LEU instead of HEU because LEU is not a nuclear proliferation risk.
The HERACLES consortium is comprised of Framatome-CERCA, CEA, ILL, SCK-CEN and TUM. It brings together operators of many high-performance research reactors, research and development organizations and Framatome. The consortium concentrates and focuses most of the experts and knowledge in Europe on the research and development of high-density research reactor fuels. The members of the consortium also include international collaboration with the Idaho National Laboratory and the Argonne National Laboratory in the USA along with the Korean Atomic Energy Research Institute. HERACLES is working towards obtaining qualification for U-Mo fuels based on a series of experiments and manufacturing developments.