The Meeting of the Management Committee of the "IRC MBIR" Consortium Took Place in Moscow
12.08.2026
The Meeting of the Management Committee of the "IRC MBIR" Consortium Took Place in Moscow
On August 12, 2026, Moscow hosted a meeting of the Management Committee of the "International Research Center based on the MBIR Reactor" Consortium (IRC MBIR Consortium). The meeting was attended by the members of the Management Committee: JSC "SSC RIAR", the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Shanghai ZDAN International Co. Ltd., and Consortium Leader of MBIR Reactor International Research Centre, LLC (IRC MBIR, LLC).
The Management Committee meeting was constituent in nature. Along with resolving the agenda items, it initiated the work of the new collegial body and launched the alignment of the interaction mechanism between the Parties. The operational framework established at this stage will serve as the foundation for sustainable cooperation among all collegial bodies of the Consortium – the IRC Council, the Management Committee, and the Advisory Board – during the operation phase of the MBIR reactor.
All agenda items were resolved unanimously, reflecting the Parties' aligned approach to organizing the Consortium's activities and further expanding cooperation within the framework of joint research programs based on the MBIR reactor. These programs include the testing of advanced structural and fuel materials to support Generation IV reactor technologies, closed nuclear fuel cycle (NFC), and addressing challenges in the field of controlled thermonuclear fusion.
Maksim Dranov, Deputy Director General for Financial and Operational Activities at IRC MBIR, LLC, was elected Chairman of the Management Committee. Fahrulla Kungurov, Deputy Director for Innovation and International Relations at the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, was elected Deputy Chairman.
The outcomes of the meeting will form the basis for preparing the upcoming meeting of the IRC Council, the supreme governing body of the Consortium.
For reference: MBIR is a multipurpose fast-neutron research reactor with sodium coolant and the thermal capacity of approximately 150 MW. The reactor is under construction in Dimitrovgrad at the site of the State Scientific Center - Research Institute for Atomic Reactors (RIAR JSC, a part of the R&D division of Rosatom State Corporation) within the framework of the national technological leadership project "New Nuclear and Energy Technologies". Currently, work is underway on installing the equipment of the reactor's primary circuit: in 2025, the cold filter-traps of the emergency heat removal system loop were installed in their design positions. As part of the primary circuit installation, adapters of hot pipelines have been welded to the reactor vessel and the first pipeline blocks; the installation of the main process equipment in the sodium storage building has been completed; a fuel handling mechanism and steam-water washing sockets for spent fuel assemblies (FA) have also been delivered. In 2026, two emergency heat exchangers weighing 7.3 tons, 5 meters high, and 1.5 meters in diameter have been installed in their design positions.
MBIR is intended for performance of reactor tests, production of radioisotopes, production of modified materials, as well as testing of new type equipment and systems. The unique capabilities of the new reactor are expected to accelerate development of solutions for the two-component nuclear power and the closed nuclear fuel cycle, as well as design of safe Generation IV nuclear power systems.
The International Research Center (IRC) in the form of an international consortium is established on the basis of MBIR reactor. The Consortium participants gain ‘fast track’ access to carry out the experiments needed for national programs of nuclear energy peaceful applications. The Consortium format allows for flexible use of the reactor resource for the demands of the scientific community. IRC MBIR Consortium is open to new members. The Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, the Nuclear Physics Institute at the Academy of Science of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Shanghai ZDAN International, a Chinese company, have already joint the Consortium as the main participants.
The Management Committee meeting was constituent in nature. Along with resolving the agenda items, it initiated the work of the new collegial body and launched the alignment of the interaction mechanism between the Parties. The operational framework established at this stage will serve as the foundation for sustainable cooperation among all collegial bodies of the Consortium – the IRC Council, the Management Committee, and the Advisory Board – during the operation phase of the MBIR reactor.
All agenda items were resolved unanimously, reflecting the Parties' aligned approach to organizing the Consortium's activities and further expanding cooperation within the framework of joint research programs based on the MBIR reactor. These programs include the testing of advanced structural and fuel materials to support Generation IV reactor technologies, closed nuclear fuel cycle (NFC), and addressing challenges in the field of controlled thermonuclear fusion.
Maksim Dranov, Deputy Director General for Financial and Operational Activities at IRC MBIR, LLC, was elected Chairman of the Management Committee. Fahrulla Kungurov, Deputy Director for Innovation and International Relations at the Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, was elected Deputy Chairman.
The outcomes of the meeting will form the basis for preparing the upcoming meeting of the IRC Council, the supreme governing body of the Consortium.
For reference: MBIR is a multipurpose fast-neutron research reactor with sodium coolant and the thermal capacity of approximately 150 MW. The reactor is under construction in Dimitrovgrad at the site of the State Scientific Center - Research Institute for Atomic Reactors (RIAR JSC, a part of the R&D division of Rosatom State Corporation) within the framework of the national technological leadership project "New Nuclear and Energy Technologies". Currently, work is underway on installing the equipment of the reactor's primary circuit: in 2025, the cold filter-traps of the emergency heat removal system loop were installed in their design positions. As part of the primary circuit installation, adapters of hot pipelines have been welded to the reactor vessel and the first pipeline blocks; the installation of the main process equipment in the sodium storage building has been completed; a fuel handling mechanism and steam-water washing sockets for spent fuel assemblies (FA) have also been delivered. In 2026, two emergency heat exchangers weighing 7.3 tons, 5 meters high, and 1.5 meters in diameter have been installed in their design positions.
MBIR is intended for performance of reactor tests, production of radioisotopes, production of modified materials, as well as testing of new type equipment and systems. The unique capabilities of the new reactor are expected to accelerate development of solutions for the two-component nuclear power and the closed nuclear fuel cycle, as well as design of safe Generation IV nuclear power systems.
The International Research Center (IRC) in the form of an international consortium is established on the basis of MBIR reactor. The Consortium participants gain ‘fast track’ access to carry out the experiments needed for national programs of nuclear energy peaceful applications. The Consortium format allows for flexible use of the reactor resource for the demands of the scientific community. IRC MBIR Consortium is open to new members. The Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, the Nuclear Physics Institute at the Academy of Science of the Republic of Uzbekistan and Shanghai ZDAN International, a Chinese company, have already joint the Consortium as the main participants.