Russia’s uranium enrichment center wins international support

ANGARSK, Russia–The Russian government plans to set up an international center here to enrich uranium for nuclear power plants in foreign countries.

The center, to be established in the premises of the Angarsk Electrolysis Chemical Complex in eastern Siberia, is expected to prevent the proliferation of nuclear technologies to countries that do not have them.
The Angarsk chemical complex was previously used to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons. However, in order to establish the international center that is open to the world, the Russian government decided to accept the IAEA inspections for the first time.

“All quality controls in the center will be conducted in accordance with the U.S. standards,” said Victor Krivov, vice director of the central laboratory. By saying so, he emphasized that the international center will meet global standards.

He added that Russian government officials had already held a meeting with IAEA officials for the inspections.

The plan to establish the international center was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin in January 2006. The idea of enriching uranium for nuclear power plants in foreign countries resulted from Russia’s cooperation with the Bushehr plant in Iran whose nuclear development program is causing a concern around the world.

In the idea, Russia will first set up joint ventures with countries which want to develop nuclear powers, and then enrich uranium. The enriched uranium will be used as nuclear fuels in the plants in those countries.

Meanwhile, Russia’s nuclear industry has a huge structural problem. Though it has sufficient uranium enrichment abilities, it can dig out only about 3,300 tons of natural uranium a year. The figure is much less than the country’s annual total demand of 20,500 tons for domestic use and exports.

In order to supplement the shortage, Russia is not only using its stocks but also importing uranium.

Asahi