U.S.-German Cooperation in the Elimination of Excess Weapons Plutonium (1995) / Chapter Skim
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Chapter 2: Assistance, Infrastructure, and Policies
Chapter 2: Assistance, Infrastructure, and Policies
Pages 23-32
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From page 23... ...
To date, the United States has signed agreements with Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan on assistance programs and funds related to dismantlement of weapons of mass destruction, offensive arms dismantlement, tools, rail-car conversion, special trucks, super-containers for weapons, protective blankets, emergency response equipment and training, containers for fissile materials, storage facilities, hydrogenous components storage facilities, conversion of fissile material, radiation monitoring and orotection. chemical weapons destruction and materials control and ac counting.
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From page 24... ...
This so-called "lab-to-lab" program received a very positive response from the Russian side. The Russians responded with a substantial pro posal to begin with the installation of modern materials security systems in some of the major Russian nuclear materials processing and weapons dismantlement facilities.
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From page 25... ...
Several seminars have taken place since spring 1993, with participants from GOSATOMNADZOR, MINATOM, the Kurchatov Institute and plant operators, the EU Commission services, and the EU nuclear industry. They reached agreement on the cletails of a Joint Coordination Group, further seminars, information exchanges, the design, testing and implementation of a nuclear material accounting and control system at state level in Russia, and regular stays of Russian trainees at Euratom in Luxembourg and the institutes run by the IRC.
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From page 26... ...
No discussions for an international role in managing the intermediate storage facility have yet been initiated. Such an international role would greatly strengthen the security of the excess WPu and would make it much less likely that it conic be reintroduced into weapons by Russia, as well as demonstrating progress toward the Non-Proliferation Treaty goal of nuclear disarmament.
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From page 27... ...
Russia has not made any formal declaration of surplus WPu, but it is conventionally assumed that 100 tons will be available within a decade. Russia has fabricated MOX fuel for its fast breeder reactors in several laboratory and pilot-scale facilities at the production complex Mayak of the Chelyabinsk-40 nuclear center.
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From page 28... ...
Government and industry are committed to a closed fuel cycle, including plutonium fuels, that emphasizes fast breeder reactors. MINATOM wishes to save the excess weapons plutonium for eventual use as a start-up fuel for future breeder reactors.4 Others indicate a desire to sell the excess plutonium, or to consider a swap for HEU.
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From page 29... ...
After a period when plutonium recycling was primarily focused on the goal of fast breeders, the emphasis has shifted towards MOX use in LWRs. The German nuclear industry has extensive operational experience with MOX (see section 1.3 and Appendix B)
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From page 30... ...
The state government has said repeatedly that it opposes restarting MOX fabrication at Hanau. German federal law preempts state law, and therefore the federal Environment Minister can order the state Environment Minister to issue licenses; this has happened.
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From page 31... ...
Since German reprocessing or storage capacity was insufficient, the German energy suppliers, who were required to demonstrate six years of forward planning for spent fuel management, had to conclude reprocessing contracts, first with the French company Cogema in 1978, and several years later with British Nuclear Fuels Limiter!
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From page 32... ...
32 stems from their opposition to nuclear energy, so little change is to be expected on their part. The so-called "consensus talks" among the political parties and the industry attempter!
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