Engineers in Siberia have installed two 95-ton steam separators at the BREST-OD-300 nuclear reactor. The operation marks a major step forward for the world’s first lead-cooled power plant.
“A 300 MW nuclear power unit with a BREST-OD-300 fast neutron reactor (the world’s first lead-cooled power reactor) is being built as part of the Generation IV Experimental Demonstration Energy Complex at the Siberian Chemical Combine as part of the Breakthrough strategic industry project,” said Rosatom in a press release.
Crews lifted the 16-meter-tall units into position inside the turbine hall in Seversk, a closed city in western Siberia. These massive heat exchangers play a critical role in dual-circuit atomic stations. They prepare steam before it enters the turbine’s low-pressure cylinder.
The equipment strips out residual moisture and reheats the vapor. Water droplets hit the metal blades like tiny bullets, causing severe erosion. Drying the steam protects the machinery from early wear and keeps the turbine running at peak efficiency.
Work at the site is moving quickly. Construction teams plan to finish the turbine unit’s foundation by the end of 2026. Once that concrete base is complete, engineers will begin installing the main turbine itself.
The project’s broader ambition lies in how the reactor handles atomic fuel. Commercial nuclear energy currently relies on thermal reactors. These conventional power plants burn only about 1% of the energy stored in natural uranium. The remaining 99% cannot be used easily, so operators must store it as dangerous radioactive waste.
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