BN-350 reactor

BN-350 reactor is a fast breeder reactor designed and built by the Soviet Union. It was located at the Mangyshlak Atomic Energy Combine in Aktau, Kazakhstan. The BN-350 was the first fast breeder reactor to be connected to an electrical grid, and it was also used for desalination of water.

Design and Operation

The BN-350 reactor was a sodium-cooled fast breeder reactor, with a maximum thermal output of 1000 MW and an electrical output of 350 MW. The primary purpose of the reactor was to generate electricity for the Mangyshlak Atomic Energy Combine and the city of Aktau. However, the reactor was also used for the desalination of water, making it the first nuclear reactor to be used for this purpose.

The reactor used uranium-235 and plutonium-239 as fuel, and it was cooled by liquid sodium. The use of sodium as a coolant allowed the reactor to operate at higher temperatures than traditional water-cooled reactors, increasing its efficiency.

History

The BN-350 reactor was commissioned in 1973 and operated until 1999. During its operation, the reactor produced significant amounts of plutonium-239, which was used in the Soviet Union's nuclear weapons program. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the reactor was shut down due to concerns about the security of the plutonium.

In 1999, the United States Department of Energy and the Kazakhstan government initiated a project to secure the spent fuel from the BN-350 reactor. The spent fuel was transported to a secure storage facility in the city of Baikal-1.

Legacy

The BN-350 reactor was a significant milestone in the development of fast breeder reactors. It demonstrated the feasibility of using nuclear reactors for desalination, and it contributed to the development of the BN-600 reactor and the BN-800 reactor, which are larger and more advanced versions of the BN-350.