The world’s first nuclear power system with a closed fuel cycle will be launched in Russia by 2030, with the project based in Tomsk Region. President Vladimir Putin announced the groundbreaking development of Russian nuclear engineers, as reported by RIA Novosti.
Putin emphasized that no country has created a similar project.
“I believe Russia can be proud of this,”
he declared during his speech at the international Moscow forum World Atomic Week.
Advantages of the Closed Fuel Cycle
The closed-cycle nuclear system reprocesses spent nuclear fuel for repeated use of its components. Today, most of the world relies on a linear cycle, where spent fuel is withdrawn, stored in secure facilities, and left as radioactive waste—an approach that increases both costs and environmental risks. By contrast, the closed cycle significantly reduces the need for natural uranium extraction and cuts the volume of radioactive waste requiring long-term storage. It also removes the need to modernize and reinforce storage facilities for spent fuel. Combined with efficient resource use, these features make nuclear energy more sustainable and environmentally responsible, a goal to which Russia’s nuclear industry remains committed, Putin concluded.
Rosatom’s Role and Future Technologies
The project is being developed by specialists at the state corporation Rosatom. In autumn 2024, the company’s head Aleksei Likhachev announced another milestone in peaceful nuclear technology—the launch of the world’s first fabrication/refabrication (MFR) module for mixed uranium-plutonium fuel (SNUP). This equipment will enable the production of advanced fuel for Generation IV reactors. According to Likhachev, the work was completed as part of the Proryv (“Breakthrough”) project. The new nuclear systems under construction in Seversk, Tomsk Region, will allow repeated recycling of spent nuclear fuel, taking global nuclear energy development to a new level.
