The XS-ABILITY project aims to develop advanced robotic solutions by embedding various types of sensors to address remaining challenges in D&D as remote and mobile investigation of hard-to-access areas and difficult-to-measure radionuclides characterization, in innovative, safe and cost-effective ways. The project innovations are related to nuclear instrumentation (accurate and compact sensors), their integration onto robotic platforms as well as Data-driven (through IA algorithms) robot fleet management by considering accuracy, compactness, automation, and cost-efficient aspects. To achieve this goal, the consortium will develop all the necessary subcomponents. The demonstration will be achieved by integrating all the XS-ABILITY developments and testing (mainly in indoor environment) throughout use cases scenarios on real D&D facilities to assess in-situ performances and to acquire data in real experimental conditions. The consortium behind XS-ABILITY is a unique combination of cross-functional experts from nuclear instrumentation, robotic and artificial intelligence (AI) fields. It consists of 8 partners from 7 EU countries, including 4 RTO (CEA, IFE, VTT, SCK), 2 SME (CAEN, FLY), 1 industrial company (SIGM) and 1 association (DEV) representative of the whole value chain. Workshops with stakeholders will be organized in order to guide the XS-ABILITY consortium during the project’s main steps. The innovative solutions provided by the project will be exploited in Dismantling & Decommissioning, Nuclear Power Plant Monitoring & Maintenance market, sensor and CBRN-E defense markets. The enhanced knowledge generated will be disseminated to all these stakeholders according to the D&E&C measures defined. Furthermore, on the basis of the project demonstrations, guidelines covering multi-robot systems behaviour in indoor environment, data collection protocols as well as best practice harmonization will be developed showing how to effectively deploy in real D&D scenarios.

One of the biggest challenges for European research reactors is securing their nuclear fuel supply to ensure a sustainment of medical isotopes for Europe and the world. This is particularly true for the few operating High Performance Research Reactors (HPRRs) in Europe, which produce the vast majority of medical isotopes. The obligation to convert them from high to low enriched uranium (LEU) nuclear fuels while keeping similar radioisotopes production ratios makes it necessary to develop higher uranium density fuels. The R&D related to that topic was started in previous EURATOM projects (HERACLES-CP and LEU-FOREvER). The main goal of the EU-QUALIFY project is to qualify such fuels and qualify the capability to fabricate such fuels. This will be done by a multi-disciplinary consortium composed of fuel designers/manufactures, reactor operators, research organizations and a university, namely: SCK CEN, CEA, CERCA, ILL, TUM, and G-INP. The EU-QUALIFY project will build on previous LEU fuel development work with specific focus on the qualification of three particular types of fuels: the dispersed U-Mo, the monolithic U-Mo and the high-loaded dispersed U3Si2 fuels. This qualification will be accomplished through fabrication and concurrent qualification of pilot manufacturing equipment and processes, irradiation under representative irradiation conditions, post-irradiation examinations, as well as modelling of the in-pile behavior to support LEU conversion safety analyses. This project will contribute to ensuring the availability of HPPR’s, and thus enhance the security of the EU’s capacity in the production of medical radioisotopes. It will thus contribute to health care through provision of innovative medical radioisotopes necessary for diagnostic and therapy and will support European industry by maintaining access to research reactor irradiation capabilities.