Fuel Manufacturing Pilot Plant

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Fuel Manufacturing Pilot Plant
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Location of Fuel Manufacturing Pilot [1]
Fuel Manufacturing Pilot Plant
BuiltDecember 1998 (1998-12) [2]
Location Nuclear Research Center, Inshas, Egypt [3] [4]
Coordinates 30°17′34.0″N31°24′38.5″E / 30.292778°N 31.410694°E / 30.292778; 31.410694 Coordinates: 30°17′34.0″N31°24′38.5″E / 30.292778°N 31.410694°E / 30.292778; 31.410694
IndustryUranium Fuel Fabrication [2]
Products MTR-type fuel plates [5]
Owner(s) Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority [6]

The Fuel Manufacturing Pilot Plant (FMPP), also known as Fuel Element Fabrication Plant, is a nuclear fuel fabrication facility supplied by the Argentine company INVAP in 1998. The FMPP is considered a Material Testing Reactor (MTR)-type fuel element facility, that produces the fuel elements required for the research reactor ETRR-2. [2] [6]

Contents

The plant uses enriched uranium hexafluoride (UF6, 19.75% U235) as a raw material which is processed to produce the final MTR-type fuel elements. [2] [6]

The FMPP is owned and operated by the Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority (AEA) at the Nuclear Research Center in Inshas, 60 kilometers northeast of Cairo. [6] [7] [8]

History

The Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority (AEA) contracted with the Argentine company INVAP to construct the Fuel Manufacturing Pilot Plant (FMPP) at the Nuclear Research Center in Inshas with the construction works began in 1995, with pre-operational tests in 1997, and a final complete production on December, 1998. [5]

The National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA) was responsible for the technology transfer and Egyptian staff training during the commissioning and installation of FMPP by personnel from the (Uranium Powder Manufacturing Plant) and the (Research Reactors Fuel Elements Plant) were both plants in CNEA served as a FMPP design basis. During the setup of the facility a fuel element was manufactured using natural uranium firstly and then another one using 20% enriched uranium. [9]

Overview

The Fuel Manufacturing Pilot Plant (FMPP) is considered the most sophisticated fuel cycle facility in Egypt, which is a semi-pilot facility produces the fuel elements required by the Egyptian second research reactor ETRR-2. [10]

FMPP has a production design capacity of 40 fuel element per year, with a total uranium content of 2054 g each and 220 days of estimated annual working time in two shifts with 8 hours each, which is sufficient to ensure continuous ETRR-2 reactor operation. [2] [6]

FMPP is under IAEA safeguards. [4]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Alaniz, A.; Merino, J.; Molli, F.; Brandt, E.; Boock, D.; Maneiro, C. "Radioisotope Production Facilities in Egypt" (PDF). INVAP. Retrieved 19 April 2015.[ permanent dead link ]
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Zidan, W.I. "LEU Fuel Element Produced by The Egyptian Fuel Manufacturing Pilot Plant" (PDF). International Atomic Energy Agency. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  3. ↑ "Nuclear Research Center (NRC)". Nuclear Threat Initiative . James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. Archived from the original on 3 June 2012. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  4. 1 2 Müller, Harald; Müller, Daniel (28 February 2015). WMD Arms Control in the Middle East: Prospects, Obstacles and Options. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. p. 114. ISBN   9781472435941 . Retrieved 8 April 2015.
  5. 1 2 Zidan, W. I.; Elseaidy, I. M. "General Description and Production Lines Of The Egyptian Fuel Manufacturing Pilot Plant" (PDF). International Group on Research Reactors. CEA. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "Fuel Element Fabrication Plant". Integrated Nuclear Fuel Cycle Information Systems. International Atomic Energy Agency. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  7. ↑ "Fuel Manufacturing Pilot Plant (FMPP)". Nuclear Threat Initiative. James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  8. ↑ "Nuclear Research Center (NRC)". Federation of American Scientists. Webmaster. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
  9. ↑ Cinat, E.; Boero, N. "ASPECTOS DE SEGURIDAD EN LA PUESTA EN MARCHA DE LA FMPP (FUEL MANUFACTURING PILOT PLANT) CONSTRUIDA POR INVAP EN LA REPÚBLICA ÁRABE DE EGIPTO" (PDF). International Atomic Energy Agency (in Spanish). Retrieved 9 April 2015.
  10. ↑ Acton, James M.; Bowen, Wyn Q. "Atoms for Peace in the Middle East: The Technical and Regulatory Requirements" (PDF). Nonproliferation Policy Education Center. webmaster. Retrieved 8 April 2015.
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