Status and Prospects for Russia's Fuel Cycle

Russia has given priority to nuclear power in its long-term strategy to increase its electricity generation capacity. But the sustainability of this strategy over the long term depends on the ability to solve problems associated with the production of increasing amounts of spent nuclear fuel. Rosatom, 1 Russia's nuclear industrial corporation, believes that development of fast neutron plutonium-breeder reactors and their fuel-cycle technologies is the solution to this problem. This article is a review of current governmental programs associated with development of nuclear power in Russia and spent fuel management.