Leonid Bolshov, Director of Nuclear Safety Institute

– We are doing the world good by saving it the trouble of creating its own nuclear fuel cycle

Russia significantly contributes to strengthening of nuclear nonproliferation regime, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Corporation Modamed ElBaradei and his successor Yukiya Amano said during their meeting with Director General of Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation Sergey Kiriyenko in Vienna Sept 14 2009. The IAEA leaders said Russia was the only country consistently and transparently processing highly enriched uranium. Kiriyenko said that Russia was systematically retrieving fresh and spent highly enriched nuclear fuel from research reactors of Soviet design in third countries. The fuel was supplied to the reactors during the Soviet times in the framework of scientific-technical cooperation programs. Kiriyenko said that a cargo containing 500 kg of highly enriched uranium was delivered to one of the Russian ports Sept 14. The fuel would be enough for producing 7–8 bombs. But now after processing these 500 kg will be turned into low enriched fuel posing no threat to the nonproliferation regime.

Today, we are processing uranium according to the agreements signed in the Soviet times. The HEU-LEU agreement helped us greatly during the hard times.

I am not surprised to know that Russia significantly contributes to the strengthening of nuclear nonproliferation regime. Today, we are struggling to make Angarsk the new nuclear capital of the world and to involve as many as possible countries in this movement. In fact, we are doing the world good by saving it the trouble of creating its own nuclear cycle, a cycle that can be used for both peaceful and military purposes. If a country has given up its plans to create its own nuclear fuel cycle, i.e. has applied to us, it means that we have not only contributed to the nonproliferation cause but have got a well-paid job and low-enriched uranium as fuel.

I would like to remind you that under the HEU-LEU agreement we are depleting our highly enriched uranium into low enriched fuel and are selling it to American reactors. In their turn, the Americans are supplying us with natural uranium. So, we have solved the problem of fuel. By processing highly enriched uranium under HEU-LEU we are producing much more low enriched fuel and are selling this “much more” and are earning money. And all this complies with the terms of the agreement. 

Russia has retrieved from a research reactor in Poland 500 kg of highly enriched uranium. The cargo was delivered to one of the Russian ports on Monday, Director General of Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corporation Sergey Kiriyenkio said during his meetings with Director General of the International Atomic Energy Corporation Modamed ElBaradei and his successor Yukiya Amano in Vienna. During the IAEA 53rd general conference Russia and Serbia signed a contract for retrieval of spent fuel from Vinca research reactor. Vinca was shut down in 1984. The Government of Serbia is going to dismantle it. June 10 Russia and Serbia signed an inter-governmental agreement for return of fuel from Vinca to Russia. Serbia says that the estimated cost of the project is $54mln: Belgrade will provide $25mln, the EU and the United States – the rest. Russia is the only country consistently and transparently processing highly enriched uranium. As of today, the country has depleted 370 tons of weapons-grade uranium, which is equivalent to 14,700 nuclear bombs. By 2013 the country will process 130 tons more (i.e. 5,200 more bombs). Besides, Russia is systematically retrieving fresh and spent highly enriched nuclear fuel from research reactors of Soviet design in third countries. Since 2002 it has returned 470 kg of fresh and 415 kg of spent fuel from 12 countries. This fuel could hypothetically be used for production of 11 nuclear bombs.