Bukhtiyarov hopes for SKIF's first experiment before year-end

The SKIF synchrotron in Koltsovo near Novosibirsk could conduct its first experiment before the end of 2026, according to Valery Bukhtiyarov, director of the Boreskov Institute of Catalysis.

Commissioning is continuing at the facility. Bukhtiyarov said the seventh experimental station could begin work once a circulating beam is obtained. He hopes that will happen in November or before the new year.

Other stations will need insertion devices installed and will start in stages. The first experiment is planned to involve catalysts for producing ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene, a material with potential uses in body armour.

Alexander Blagov, vice-president of the Kurchatov Institute, said SKIF had completed its technical startup. He expects many stations to be tackling scientific tasks in a year's time.

The centre opened on August 11, 2026, with Vladimir Putin attending. The generation 4+ synchrotron source is designed for an energy of three gigaelectronvolts. It occupies a 30-hectare site, with a main accelerator ring measuring 476 metres around.