Radioactive liquid sodium processing technology developed by ROSATOM

The Russian nuclear company ROSATOM has developed a new technology for the treatment of radioactive liquid sodium coolant, which will allow it to safely decommission FNRs. The technology was developed at the Leypunsky Institute of Physics and Power Engineering for TVEL (ROSATOM’s fuel division). In March 2024, successful tests were carried out at the Mineral-100/150 pilot plant, confirming its scalability. The process transforms liquid sodium into a solid, mineral-like product, ensuring fire and explosion safety while eliminating gas emissions. This breakthrough will be applied to reactors such as BOR-60, BN-600 and BN-800 at the Beloyarsk NPP, and potentially to the BN-350 reactor in Kazakhstan, which contains 680 CBM of sodium. This technology has been developed to address the challenges of decommissioning sodium-cooled reactors, which require a safe and efficient method of disposing of radioactive sodium. By converting liquid sodium into a stable solid form, ROSATOM aims to improve environmental safety, reduce storage costs and streamline the decommissioning of nuclear facilities. This innovation is expected to set new standards in nuclear waste management and contribute to global efforts to manage radioactive materials more effectively.