On March 12, 2026, the Kickoff Meeting for the TRHYB project was held at the Enrico Fermi Research Center (CREF). This new joint research initiative between CREF and ENEA is dedicated to the study of fusion-fission hybrid reactors, in particular the production of tritium using next-generation tritium-breeding blankets.

The TRHYB project is part of CREF’s strategic activities in the field of Nuclear Physics for Energy, the Environment, and Radiation Protection, with the goal of integrating neutron experiments, Monte Carlo simulations, and thermofluid-dynamic modelling within a coherent framework of applied research for the energy technologies of the future.

Among the milestones agreed upon for the first year of activity: the completion of the Source Laboratory configuration; the creation of the first blanket mock-up for neutron testing; and the launch of MCNP simulations in the ENEA–CREF reference configurations, with a first experimental-simulation comparison expected by the end of 2026.

During the meeting, the activity managers for ENEA and CREF, Fabio Panza and Giovanni De Angelis, took the floor to present the project’s structure and coordinate the definition of the scientific roadmap for 2026.

Participants:

For ENEA: Fabio Panza, Mauro Cappelli, Francesco Cordella, Gerardo Claps, Francesco Paolo Orsitto

For CREF: Giovanni De Angelis, Giulia Festa