VVER long-term operation – A review based on the material studies results from past and ongoing EU-supported research projects

Vladimir Slugen; Jana Simeg Veternikova; Maria Domankova; Matus Gavalec; Jana Petzova; David Slnek; Mykola Dzubinsky; Oleksii Shugaylo; Ildiko Szenthe; Ferenc Gillemot; Maksym Zarazovskii; Jari Lydman; Radim Kopriva; Szabolcs Szavai; Ondrej Srba

doi:10.1016/j.nucengdes.2025.113949

VVER long-term operation – A review based on the material studies results from past and ongoing EU-supported research projects

Vladimir Slugen^*
, Jana Simeg Veternikova
, Maria Domankova
, Matus Gavalec
, Jana Petzova
, David Slnek
, Mykola Dzubinsky
, Oleksii Shugaylo
, Ildiko Szenthe
, Ferenc Gillemot
, Maksym Zarazovskii
, Jari Lydman
, Radim Kopriva
, Szabolcs Szavai
, Ondrej Srba

^*Corresponding author for this work

Slovak University of Technology
VUJE a.s.
European Commission
State Scientific and Technical Center for Nuclear and Radiation Safety (SSTC NRS)
HUN-REN Centre for Energy Research (HUN-REN EK)
IPP Centre LLC
ÚJV Řež a.s.
Bay Zoltán Nonprofit Ltd. for Applied Research (BZN)
Research Centre Řež

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review Article › peer-review

6 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Safe and long-term operation (LTO) of nuclear power plants (NPP) with Water-Water Energetic Reactors (VVER) is essential for several central and eastern European countries to keep their energy supply security. During the last decades, several EU-supported projects in framework projects or Horizon2020 schemes have focused on the material degradation of pressurised water reactors (PWRs), especially VVERs. This paper aims to extract the most important results dominantly from EURATOM projects which support or could limit the long-term operation of this Soviet design of PWRs. The accent is given on ongoing projects such as FRACTESUS, STRUMAT-LTO, APAL, and ENTENTE. Actually, running project DELISA-LTO (2022–2026) comprises not only results from previous research in this area but also incorporates wide material databases coming from nuclear power plant V-1 in Jaslovské Bohunice (Slovakia), which was shut down after 28 years of operation and provides wide-range of original service-aged materials specimens for profound material studies having in mind lifetime extension of VVERs. Consolidated knowledge focused mainly on the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) material studies is summarised and supported by relevant references.

Original language	English
Article number	113949
Journal	Nuclear Engineering and Design
Volume	435
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2025.113949
Publication status	Published - 15 Apr 2025
MoE publication type	A2 Review article in a scientific journal

Funding

The authors would like to thank the European Union Project DELISA-LTO (No.101061201) for financial support.

Keywords

European projects
Long-term operation
Material research
Swelling
Thermal ageing
VVER technologies

Access to Document

10.1016/j.nucengdes.2025.113949Licence: CC BY

Cite this

Slugen, V., Veternikova, J. S., Domankova, M., Gavalec, M., Petzova, J., Slnek, D., Dzubinsky, M., Shugaylo, O., Szenthe, I., Gillemot, F., Zarazovskii, M., Lydman, J., Kopriva, R., Szavai, S., & Srba, O. (2025). VVER long-term operation – A review based on the material studies results from past and ongoing EU-supported research projects. Nuclear Engineering and Design, 435, Article 113949. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2025.113949

@article{032ecf2626c54b348bea66b1cba4c51d,

title = "VVER long-term operation {\textendash} A review based on the material studies results from past and ongoing EU-supported research projects",

abstract = "Safe and long-term operation (LTO) of nuclear power plants (NPP) with Water-Water Energetic Reactors (VVER) is essential for several central and eastern European countries to keep their energy supply security. During the last decades, several EU-supported projects in framework projects or Horizon2020 schemes have focused on the material degradation of pressurised water reactors (PWRs), especially VVERs. This paper aims to extract the most important results dominantly from EURATOM projects which support or could limit the long-term operation of this Soviet design of PWRs. The accent is given on ongoing projects such as FRACTESUS, STRUMAT-LTO, APAL, and ENTENTE. Actually, running project DELISA-LTO (2022{\textendash}2026) comprises not only results from previous research in this area but also incorporates wide material databases coming from nuclear power plant V-1 in Jaslovsk{\'e} Bohunice (Slovakia), which was shut down after 28 years of operation and provides wide-range of original service-aged materials specimens for profound material studies having in mind lifetime extension of VVERs. Consolidated knowledge focused mainly on the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) material studies is summarised and supported by relevant references.",

keywords = "European projects, Long-term operation, Material research, Swelling, Thermal ageing, VVER technologies",

author = "Vladimir Slugen and Veternikova, \{Jana Simeg\} and Maria Domankova and Matus Gavalec and Jana Petzova and David Slnek and Mykola Dzubinsky and Oleksii Shugaylo and Ildiko Szenthe and Ferenc Gillemot and Maksym Zarazovskii and Jari Lydman and Radim Kopriva and Szabolcs Szavai and Ondrej Srba",

year = "2025",

month = apr,

day = "15",

doi = "10.1016/j.nucengdes.2025.113949",

language = "English",

volume = "435",

journal = "Nuclear Engineering and Design",

issn = "0029-5493",

publisher = "Elsevier",

}

Slugen, V, Veternikova, JS, Domankova, M, Gavalec, M, Petzova, J, Slnek, D, Dzubinsky, M, Shugaylo, O, Szenthe, I, Gillemot, F, Zarazovskii, M, Lydman, J, Kopriva, R, Szavai, S & Srba, O 2025, 'VVER long-term operation – A review based on the material studies results from past and ongoing EU-supported research projects', Nuclear Engineering and Design, vol. 435, 113949. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nucengdes.2025.113949

TY - JOUR

T1 - VVER long-term operation – A review based on the material studies results from past and ongoing EU-supported research projects

AU - Slugen, Vladimir

AU - Veternikova, Jana Simeg

AU - Domankova, Maria

AU - Gavalec, Matus

AU - Petzova, Jana

AU - Slnek, David

AU - Dzubinsky, Mykola

AU - Shugaylo, Oleksii

AU - Szenthe, Ildiko

AU - Gillemot, Ferenc

AU - Zarazovskii, Maksym

AU - Lydman, Jari

AU - Kopriva, Radim

AU - Szavai, Szabolcs

AU - Srba, Ondrej

PY - 2025/4/15

Y1 - 2025/4/15

N2 - Safe and long-term operation (LTO) of nuclear power plants (NPP) with Water-Water Energetic Reactors (VVER) is essential for several central and eastern European countries to keep their energy supply security. During the last decades, several EU-supported projects in framework projects or Horizon2020 schemes have focused on the material degradation of pressurised water reactors (PWRs), especially VVERs. This paper aims to extract the most important results dominantly from EURATOM projects which support or could limit the long-term operation of this Soviet design of PWRs. The accent is given on ongoing projects such as FRACTESUS, STRUMAT-LTO, APAL, and ENTENTE. Actually, running project DELISA-LTO (2022–2026) comprises not only results from previous research in this area but also incorporates wide material databases coming from nuclear power plant V-1 in Jaslovské Bohunice (Slovakia), which was shut down after 28 years of operation and provides wide-range of original service-aged materials specimens for profound material studies having in mind lifetime extension of VVERs. Consolidated knowledge focused mainly on the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) material studies is summarised and supported by relevant references.

AB - Safe and long-term operation (LTO) of nuclear power plants (NPP) with Water-Water Energetic Reactors (VVER) is essential for several central and eastern European countries to keep their energy supply security. During the last decades, several EU-supported projects in framework projects or Horizon2020 schemes have focused on the material degradation of pressurised water reactors (PWRs), especially VVERs. This paper aims to extract the most important results dominantly from EURATOM projects which support or could limit the long-term operation of this Soviet design of PWRs. The accent is given on ongoing projects such as FRACTESUS, STRUMAT-LTO, APAL, and ENTENTE. Actually, running project DELISA-LTO (2022–2026) comprises not only results from previous research in this area but also incorporates wide material databases coming from nuclear power plant V-1 in Jaslovské Bohunice (Slovakia), which was shut down after 28 years of operation and provides wide-range of original service-aged materials specimens for profound material studies having in mind lifetime extension of VVERs. Consolidated knowledge focused mainly on the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) material studies is summarised and supported by relevant references.

KW - European projects

KW - Long-term operation

KW - Material research

KW - Swelling

KW - Thermal ageing

KW - VVER technologies

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85219004184

U2 - 10.1016/j.nucengdes.2025.113949

DO - 10.1016/j.nucengdes.2025.113949

M3 - Review Article

AN - SCOPUS:85219004184

SN - 0029-5493

VL - 435

JO - Nuclear Engineering and Design

JF - Nuclear Engineering and Design

M1 - 113949

ER -

VVER long-term operation – A review based on the material studies results from past and ongoing EU-supported research projects

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

DELISA-LTO: DEscription of the extended LIfetime and its influence on the SAfety operation and construction materials performance – Long Term Operation with no compromises in the safety

Cite this

VVER long-term operation – A review based on the material studies results from past and ongoing EU-supported research projects

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Projects

DELISA-LTO: DEscription of the extended LIfetime and its influence on the SAfety operation and construction materials performance – Long Term Operation with no compromises in the safety

Cite this