Education and Training Series #24: THE BN-600 AND BN-800 OPERATING EXPERIENCE

These webinars, organised by the GIF Education and Training Working Group are streamed live monthly. The recordings and slide decks are accessible after the webinar on this website. These webinars cover a very broad range of technical and policy related topics. At the end of 2023 they have been viewed by more than 15000 people (approximately half of the views during the live streams and the other half views being of the archives on the public GIF website). In total, the GIF webinars have reached Generation IV enthusiasts, scientists, and engineers in more than 80 countries.

These webinars are organised and hosted by the GIF Education and Training Working Group (ETWG). 

Russia occupies a leading position in the field of sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFR) in the world. The following SFRs have been constructed in the USSR and in the Russian Federation: BR-5/BR-10, BOR-60, BN-350, BN-600, BN-800. Total operation experience of the USSR/Russian SFRs exceeds 160 reactor-years, i.e. more than one-third of the total world SFR operational experience. The test reactor BOR-60 and industrial NPPs with the BN-600 and BN-800 reactors are in operation now. Currently the BN-1200 reactor design of a commercial SFR of the 4th generation is under development in Russia and a new MBIR multifunctional research fast reactor is under construction. A 38-year successful operation of the BN-600 reactor has demonstrated a feasibility and maturity of the SFR technology. The main purpose of the BN-800 reactor is to demonstrate closing the nuclear fuel cycle. The BN-1200 is aimed to achieve competitiveness with LWRs and to provide a high level of safety based mainly on passive safety systems and inherent SFR safety features. The main characteristics of the BN-600 and BN-800 reactors are described, and operational parameters achieved (burn-up, load factor, etc.) are discussed. The main stages of the BN-600 and BN-800 operations are indicated, and the operational experience gained is analyzed, including events with sodium leaks outside and leaks in steam generators. The presentation summarizes main lessons learned from the BN-600 and BN-800 operational experience and relevant recommendations for future SFRs.