The complex is at the site of the Siberian Chemical Plant, which is run by state nuclear fuel company Tvel, a subsidiary of state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom.
It is part of the country’s “Proryv” or “Breakthrough” project, which is designed to demonstrate a closed nuclear fuel cycle.
A closed nuclear fuel cycle means spent fuel is reprocessed and partly reused. Closing the nuclear fuel cycle would ease concerns over limited uranium resources and contribute towards making nuclear energy sustainable over the long term.
The Breakthrough project comprises a fuel production and refabrication facility for the production of dense uranium-plutonium (nitride) fuel for fast reactors, a nuclear power plant with a Brest-OD-300 lead-cooled fast-neutron reactor, and a used fuel retreatment module.
In December 2019 Siberian Chemical Combine signed a $412m contract with engineering company Titan-2 for construction and installation work for the Brest plant.
The site of the plant is being prepared for the start of construction work. Tvel said the Brest unit is scheduled for completion at the end of 2026.
The installation of equipment at the fuel fabrication facility will take about 18 months.