REDUCED ENRICHMENT FOR RESEARCH AND TEST REACTORS (RERTR): STATUS AND CURRENT PLANS

The Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors (RERTR) Program develops technology necessary to enable the conversion of civilian facilities using high enriched uranium (HEU) to low enriched uranium (LEU) fuels and targets. The RERTR program mission supports the minimization and, to the extent possible, elimination of the use of HEU in civil nuclear applications by working to convert research reactors and radioisotope production processes to the use of LEU fuel and targets throughout the world. During the Program’s 27 years of existence, 40 research reactors have been converted from HEU to LEU fuels and processes have been developed for producing the medical isotope Mo-99 with LEU targets. Under NNSA’s Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI) Program, schedules and plans for the conversion of additional research reactors operating with HEU are accelerated. The development of advanced high density LEU fuels to enable the conversions is being emphasized. Research reactor conversion is being coordinated with other GTRI program elements, such as the US and Russian origin spent fuel repatriation programs. This paper summarizes the current status and plans for conversion of research reactors, in the U.S. and abroad, the supporting fuel development activities, and the development of processes for medical isotope production with LEU targets.