Kharkiv scientists develop technology to produce nuclear reactor materials in Ukraine
The National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine announced the results, Rubryka reports.
Nuclear power plants generate more than half of Ukraine's electricity. They need not only nuclear fuel but also special materials for fuel cladding and other reactor components. The quality of these materials affects how safely and reliably reactor equipment operates and how long it lasts.
Zirconium is one of the key materials used in nuclear power. It is used to make the tubes that encase nuclear fuel and separate it from the coolant inside a reactor.
The metal must meet strict requirements. It has to:
That means reactor-grade zirconium must be extremely pure and meet demanding performance standards.
Researchers at the National Science Center Kharkiv Institute of Physics and Technology are working on ways to produce zirconium and hafnium from Ukrainian raw materials.
Their goal is to build the technology needed to make these metals in Ukraine.
One major result is 99.99% pure zirconium. The team has also made experimental reactor alloy samples and a pilot batch of fuel cladding tubes for VVER-1000 reactors.
The researchers also worked to improve the alloys used in fuel cladding. The changes are designed to make the materials more resistant to radiation and corrosion. This could extend the cladding's service life to five or six years.
Another part of the research focused on special chromium coatings. These coatings are designed to protect fuel cladding from damage at high temperatures. They could improve reactor safety during emergencies, when materials are exposed to extreme heat.
The Kharkiv team also produced hafnium with a purity of more than 99.95%.
Hafnium is also important for nuclear power. It absorbs neutrons, so it is used in reactor control systems to help regulate nuclear reactions.
Ukraine has its own zirconium deposits, but domestic production of zirconium and hafnium has largely stopped. The Kharkiv team's work could help bring it back by providing the scientific and technical foundation for making these metals in Ukraine.
The goal is not just to extract raw materials. It is to turn them into the materials and components used in nuclear fuel and reactor equipment.
Restarting production could reduce Ukraine's reliance on foreign suppliers and make better use of the country's natural resources and scientific expertise to support its nuclear power plants.
The researchers have already shown that they can produce high-purity zirconium and hafnium, develop reactor alloys, and make components for nuclear fuel. The pilot batch of VVER-1000 fuel cladding tubes is one of the key practical results.
The next step is to move from laboratory research and pilot production to industrial manufacturing. That will require introducing new technologies into production processes so that Ukraine can produce these materials and components at scale.
The United Kingdom will fund enriched uranium supplies for Ukrainian nuclear power plants over the next two years. The deal is worth 210 million British pounds.
A joint US-Ukraine investment fund focused on reconstruction has also signed its first deal in the critical minerals sector. The investment is worth about 30 million US dollars. The fund has launched five projects worth a total of 70 million US dollars.
The fund's first deal involves a joint investment platform with BGV Group, with about 30 million US dollars planned for the project. Through this and other deals, the fund will support early-stage mining projects in different parts of Ukraine. The projects involve deposits of rare earth elements, uranium, beryllium, and zirconium.
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5 of November 2026
