MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The unique nuclear reactor, which is due to become operational in 2020, will allow Russian scientists to develop safe energy generators, new types of nuclear fuel and advanced construction materials.
Russia started building the reactor in September 2015. By March 2016, construction crews had laid down the base slab for the reactor unit and the seven out of nine supplementary units, and began putting up concrete walls.
"The [project’s] budget for 2016 amounts to 2.5 billion rubles [$34mln at the current exchange rate]. This year, we plan to build the reactor 10 meters from the ground up," the research institute said in a statement.