BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 3. Erlan Batyrbekov,
Director General of Kazakhstan’s National Nuclear Center, and
Masanori Koguchi, President of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency
(JAEA), discussed expanding cooperation in nuclear safety research
for Generation IV reactors during a meeting in Almaty, Trend reports via the Kazakh
Agency for Atomic Energy.


The sides reviewed joint achievements and prospects for further
cooperation in research on the safety of fast neutron reactors. A
key topic of the talks was the continued implementation of the
EAGLE experimental project, aimed at studying safety aspects of
sodium-cooled fast reactors, including severe accident scenarios
involving core melting.


The parties also discussed the signing of a Memorandum of
Cooperation between JAEA and Kazakhstan’s National Nuclear Center,
as well as an agreement on the implementation of the first stage of
the next phase of the project.


The EAGLE project has been implemented since the early 2000s and
focuses on experimental research into the safety of fast neutron
reactors. Over the past two decades, approximately 200
methodological tests, two medium-scale and nine full-scale reactor
experiments, as well as more than 65 out-of-reactor experiments,
have been conducted.







Earlier EAGLE program stages, including EAGLE, EAGLE-2, and
EAGLE-3, have been successfully completed, while preparatory
analytical work for the next phase (post-EAGLE-3) was carried out
with the participation of Marubeni Corporation.


The new phase, EAGLE-4, will involve a series of in-reactor and
out-of-reactor experiments, along with small-scale tests. It will
focus on experimental testing of fuel assemblies for advanced
Japanese Generation IV reactor designs, research using Kazakhstan’s
IGR research reactor, and other installations at the National
Nuclear Center.


The sides expect the results of EAGLE-4 to contribute
significantly to the development of scientific approaches to
reactor safety and further strengthen Kazakhstan–Japan cooperation
in the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Discussions are ongoing on
extending the project through 2031.