Abstracts and Available Papers Presented at the
2005 International RERTR Meeting

PROGRESS ACHIEVED FOR THE FULL CONVERSION - FROM HEU TO LEU - OF THE TRIGA 14 MW RESEARCH REACTOR CORE AT PITESTI, ROMANIA

Arnaud Atger
Division for Europe (TCEU)
International Atomic Energy Agency,
Wagramer Strasse 5, P.O. Box 100, A-1400 Vienna, Austria

and

Lucian Biro
Division of Nuclear Reactors
National Commission for Nuclear Activities Control (CNCAN)
14, Libertatii Bulevard, 050706 Bucharest Sector 5, Romania

and

Igor Bolchinsky
ANL-W/DOE/NNSA US Department of Energy (USDOE),
P.O. Box 2528, Idaho Falls 83403-2528, USA

and

Marin Ciocanescu
Institute for Nuclear Research
POB 78, Pitesti, 0300, Arges Romania

and

Jean-Louis Falgoux,
Compagnie pour l'étude et la réalisation de combustibles atomiques (CERCA)
10, rue Juliette Récamier, 69456 Lyon Cedex 06, France

ABSTRACT

IN OCTOBER 2005, A SHIPMENT OF 175 TRIGA FUEL ELEMENTS OF FRESH 20% LOW ENRICHED URANIUM (LEU) WAS SUCCESSFULLY SHIPPED FROM FRANCE TO THE INSTITUTE FOR NUCLEAR RESEARCH IN PITESTI, ROMANIA. THIS WAS THE SECOND FRESH FUEL SHIPMENT RESULTING IN A TOTAL OF 225 FUEL ELEMENTS DELIVERED UNDER THE IAEA TECHNICAL COOPERATION PROGRAMME.

THE GLOBAL THREAT REDUCTION INITIATIVE “GTRI” IS TO REDUCE, AND ELIMINATE, THE USE OF AND STORAGE OF HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM IN CIVIL NUCLEAR ACTIVITIES. THIS IAEA PROJECT IS FUNDED BY US-DOE CONTRIBUTING OVER $ 3.6 MILLION; ROMANIA CONTRIBUTING $ 0.5 MILLION AND IAEA $ 0.3 MILLION AND THE COORDINATING ROLE. THROUGH THE TRILATERAL CONTRACT SIGNED IN 2003 AMONG THE PARTIES, THE FRENCH COMPANY CERCA WAS SELECTED TO MANUFACTURE THE LEU FUEL IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ORIGINAL DESIGN FROM GENERAL ATOMICS

THIS PAPER DESCRIBES THE GOOD PROGRESS ACHIEVED (PROJECT SCHEDULE, MANUFACTURING STATUS, REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS AND LESSONS LEARNED).

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