SKIF synchrotron to be commissioned in fall 2026 - Russian Kurchatov Institute head

MOSCOW. Feb 13 (Interfax) - The Siberian Circular Photon Source (SKIF) is likely to be commissioned in September 2026, Kurchatov Institute President, Chairman of the Russian Maritime Board's Scientific Expert Council Mikhail Kovalchuk said.

"We will be commissioning SKIF this year. It looks like the president will chair a Council meeting in September, and everything will be announced. [...] This is the next-generation synchrotron source, a bright X-ray source, built in Siberia," Kovalchuk said at a meeting of the Maritime Board's Scientific Expert Council on Friday.

According to official information, construction of the SKIF synchrotron began near the Koltsovo science city in the Novosibirsk region, in the vicinity of the Vector State Research Center, on August 25, 2021.

As reported, the commissioning of the facility, with seven stations in the first phase, is scheduled for 2026 (originally planned for the end of 2024).

The stations will study the structure of biopolymers, the functioning mechanisms of living organisms, the transmission of genetic information, drug action mechanisms, the creation of new materials, fast processes, etc.

SKIF will be the world's first generation 4+ 3 GeV source of synchrotron radiation.