The utilisation of lead-bismuth reactors for district heating or for seawater desalination is being investigated in Russia (IAEA-TECDOC-1056, 1998). There are 150 reactor-years of experience of lead-bismuth reactor technology in Russia from application in the country’s submarine fleet.

The technology is now being reassessed for either co-generating or single application district heating or desalination plants. Some of the plants, e. g. ANSTREM could also be used for refrigeration applications. The coolant has desirable chemical, activation and thermophysical properties, including low chemical reactivity with water, low long-lived induced gamma activity, negative void coefficient, a high boiling point and low freezing point. Some possible new designs for low temperature applications are shown in Table 14.7. The technologies under consideration include modular and small transportable plants such as ANSTREM with a compact reactor layout, but also larger plants such as BREST 300.