V International Conference "Prospects for Implementation of Innovations in Nuclear Energy"

September 28-29, 2023, the V International Conference "Prospects for Implementation of Innovations in Nuclear Energy" was held in the Large Conference Hall of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine.

The conference organizers were: Institute for Safety Problems of Nuclear Power Plants of the NAS of Ukraine, Public Organization "Ukrainian Nuclear Society" (UkrNS) and Council of Young Scientists at the Department of Physical and Technical Problems of Power Engineering of the NAS of Ukraine.

The conference included plenary and panel sessions with more than 60 scientific presentations.

The conference was attended by representatives of the Institute for Safety Problems of Nuclear Power Plants, National Science Center "Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology", State Scientific and Technical Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety (SSTC NRS), Institute for Nuclear Research (INR), Institute of Electrodynamics, Institute of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Electrophysics and Radiation Technologies, Frantsevich Institute for Problems of Materials Science, E.O. Paton Electric Welding Institute, Odesa Polytechnic National University, and Lviv Polytechnic National University, experts of SE "NNEGC "Energoatom", Ukrainian NPPs, other enterprises and organizations of the industry.

The conference was started by Yuriy Sheiko, Acting First Vice President and Technical Director of SE "NNEGC "Energoatom".

During the conference plenary session, there were presented reports on current trends in nuclear research in Ukraine and in the world, development of hydrogen cogeneration technologies at NPPs, licensing of new power units in Ukraine, international cooperation in the field of nuclear energy, etc. Among them was a report by Valeriy ZUYOK, senior staff scientist at NFC STE NSC KIPT, "Main trends in improving efficiency of RCCA absorber rods for nuclear reactors in Ukraine".

September 29, the conference started with a discussion panel on the concept: "Managing the aging of dry storage facilities for spent nuclear fuel".

Representatives of SSTC NRS, INR of NASU, Atom Project Engineering, SE "NNEGC "Energoatom", Institute of Applied Physics of NASU, Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry of NASU, and ISP NPP of NASU took part in the discussion. The discussion was focused on SNF characterization for various types of reactor facilities, use of SNF residual energy release, the need to take into account changes in meteorological conditions during SNF long-term storage, implementation of the technology of non-destructive testing of SNF integrity, and environmental aspects of SNF storage and disposal. There was approved an approach to developing a concept for managing ageing of spent fuel storage facilities based on the experience of the world's leading nuclear generating countries, primarily the United States, and with account of the developments within the IAEA research projects.

Due to the large number of participants, the second day of the conference was divided into 2 sections:

• Sectional panel "Innovations for sustainable development of the nuclear industrial complex"
• Sectional panel "Innovations for sustainable development and improvement of NPP safety"

NFC STE NSC KIPT specialists, senior staff scientist Valeriy ZUYOK and junior staff scientist Igor CHERNOV, made reports under the sectional panel "Innovations for Sustainable Development and improvement of NPP safety".

In total, "Nuclear Fuel Cycle" Science and Technology Establishment was represented by three reports:

1. Information support of scientific and technical activities on implementation of Westinghouse nuclear fuel for VVER-1000 reactors. Authors: Zuyok V.A., Krasnorutskyy V.S., Grytsyna V.M., Rud R.O., Tretyakov M.V., Kushtym Ya.O., Grudnytskyy V.V.
2. Development of neutron absorbing materials based on rare earth element compounds with hafnium and zirconium for use in nuclear reactor control rods. Authors: Chernov І.О., Zuyok V.A., Legenkyy Ye.S., Romankov V.O., Kushtym A.V., Kantemyrov A.V., Kolodiy I.V.
3. Main trends in improving efficiency of RCCA absorber rods for nuclear reactors in Ukraine. Authors: Zuyok V.A., Rud R.O., Tretyakov M.V., Chernov I.O., Kushtym Y.O., Grudnytskyy V.V.