Rosatom Tests Full-Scale Simulator for the BREST-OD-300 Reactor

Scope and Purpose of the Tests

Specialists from VNIIAES have completed comprehensive testing of a full-featured simulator developed for the BREST-OD-300 project. The customer is the Siberian Chemical Combine, where an experimental demonstration energy complex is currently under construction. The simulator reproduces the reactor control room with accuracy close to real-world operation.

The simulator’s primary task is to prepare operators to manage a fast-neutron reactor using lead coolant. From the operator’s perspective, there is no perceptible difference between the simulator and the actual control panels. This significantly improves both safety and operational efficiency during power unit operation.

Development involved multiple organisations. The Nuclear Safety Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences was responsible for modelling the reactor core, the Research and Design Institute of Power Engineering developed the process control systems, and the Vibrator Instrument-Making Plant supplied control panel simulators. Under federal regulations, such simulators are mandatory training tools prior to the physical startup of a nuclear power unit.

Implementation Timeline

Testing of the full-scope simulator followed deployment of an analytical simulator introduced at the Siberian Chemical Combine in 2025. Federal requirements mandate completion of full-scope simulator training before reactor startup.

The simulator will undergo further refinement until April 2026, after which it will be transported to Seversk for acceptance testing and personnel training. The Proryv (Breakthrough) project aims to implement a closed nuclear fuel cycle based on fast-neutron reactors.

At the dawn of nuclear power, the industry faced the challenge of expanding the fuel base in order to use all isotopes of mined uranium, not only uranium-235, whose reserves are limited. This led to the concept of fast-neutron reactors, which make it possible to breed fuel and involve uranium-238 in the process. This expands the fuel base by a factor of one hundred

Georgy Tikhomirov

Deputy Director of the Institute of Nuclear Physics and Technologies at the National Research Nuclear University MEPhI

Previously, Russian-developed simulators were used to train operators at overseas nuclear power plants. In 2023, a full-scope simulator was commissioned for the Akkuyu plant in Turkey, following earlier deployments in 2022 for the Rooppur plant in Bangladesh and the Paks II project in Hungary.

Key Features of the BREST-OD-300 Reactor

The BREST-OD-300 nuclear reactor has no direct analogues worldwide. It uses lead as a coolant and can breed plutonium from uranium-238, enabling repeated fuel use. This approach reduces radioactive waste volumes and enables a closed nuclear fuel cycle.

The reactor design incorporates passive shutdown mechanisms that halt the nuclear reaction under any parameter deviations. At the Siberian Chemical Combine site, construction includes not only the power unit but also facilities for fuel reprocessing and production of mixed uranium-plutonium fuel.

Economic and Industry Impact

The simulator ensures workforce training for Generation IV reactors, which is essential for their safe and effective operation. By reducing the role of human error, it also indirectly accelerates commissioning timelines.

Deployment of similar systems increases efficiency across the nuclear industry at a systemic level. Comparable simulators are already in use at operating nuclear power plants, including the Rostov facility.

Looking ahead, the simulator is expected to become a standard training platform for fast-neutron reactors in Russia between 2028 and 2030. Export potential is also under consideration, with possible deployment at international nuclear projects through Rosatom’s service portfolio. Future development includes digital twins, VR-based simulations, and advanced AI-driven training systems.