Thorium Power has announced a significant milestone as the company has signed a Post-Irradiation Examination (PIE) agreement with the Kurchatov Institute, one of Russia's premier nuclear research facilities.
Following several years of ampoule irradiation testing in Kurchatov Institute's IR-8 research reactor, irradiated uranium-zirconium metal seed fuel samples of Thorium Power's proprietary fuel design have been cooled and will be examined using both non-destructive and destructive methods of post-irradiation examination in accordance with standard industry protocols.
This important work will further confirm the fuel performance and provide key irradiation testing data required for regulatory licensing of Thorium Power's fuel designs. The agreement will give Thorium Power access to additional world-class nuclear fuel analysis capabilities.
Seth Grae, the CEO of Thorium Power, stated, "We are tremendously encouraged by the continued process of testing and verification of our fuel design. Our work to develop an innovative proliferation-resistant, low waste alternative to current fuel designs is recognized by both Russia and the United States as an important objective. We have worked collaboratively and successfully in Russia over the past fifteen years under the auspices of the US government and the new agreement allows us to continue this cooperation into additional areas."
Andrey Mushakov, the Executive Vice President for International Nuclear Operations of Thorium Power further stated, "This milestone is an example of our long and successful collaboration with the Kurchatov Institute. The post-irradiation examination to be conducted will provide additional verification of the safety, efficiency and proliferation resistance of Thorium Power's proprietary fuel designs. This procedure is a significant step forward toward commercial reactor demonstrations and the subsequent regulatory licensing of our fuel designs for pressurized water reactors."
