11-06-2007 – Refuelling a polish reactor with argentine silicide fuel elements : On June 11, 2007, INVAP, as commercial representative and in cooperation with the argentine Atomic Energy Commission, CNEA, signed a contract with IAEA and the Atomic Energy Institute of Poland for the development and provision of uranium silicide fuel elements for the polish “Maria” reactor.
On June 11, 2007, INVAP, as commercial representative and in cooperation with the argentine Atomic Energy Commission, CNEA, signed a contract with IAEA and the Atomic Energy Institute of Poland for the development and provision of uranium silicide fuel elements for the polish “Maria” reactor.
This provision is a technological landmark, since “Maria” will be the first soviet-made reactor to use cylindical MR-5 fuel, and reducing its enrichment from 35% to 20% thanks to the silicide option.
This continues the traditional cooperation between INVAP and CNEA, and will also contribute to the international non-proliferation system reducing the degree of enrichment, a purpose with heretofore could not be achieved for technological reasons.
It should be mentioned that the enriched uranium was supplied by the Department of Energy of the US, with whose international program we maintain a permanent collaboration.
