Rosatom and DoE to study conversion of Russian reactors
On October 30, 2010 Russian Prime Minister reportedly signed an order that directed Rosatom to begin negotiations with the U.S. Department of Energy on an Implementing Arrangement (IA) to conduct technical and economic feasibility studies for the possible conversion of six Russian HEU research reactors. The IA is expected to create a working group that will oversee its implementation.
The following reactors are expected to be covered by the arrangement:
IR-8 (Kurchatov Institute, Moscow)
OR (Kurchatov Institute, Moscow)
Argus (Kurchatov Institute, Moscow)
IRT (Moscow Engineering Physics Institute, Moscow)
IRT-T (Tomsk Polytechnical Institute, Tomsk)
MIR.M1 (Research Institute of Atomic Reactors, NIIAR, Dimitrovgrad)
Russia and the United States discussed a possibility of reactor conversion studies in 2008, but no firm agreement was reached at that time.