Highly enriched spent nuclear fuel was removed from Rez Nuclear Research Institute, Czech Republic to the Russian Federation

17-4-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — In early April of 2013 highly enriched spent nuclear fuel of the LVR-15 research reactor was removed from Rez Nuclear Research Institute, Czech Republic, to the Russian Federation.

The fuel was sent to Mayak PA (Chelyabinsk region) for reprocessing.

For the last ten years six shipments of highly enriched nuclear fuel from the Czech Republic to the Russian Federation have been successfully implemented. As a result all highly enriched nuclear fuel was completely removed from the territory of the Czech Republic.

This achievement is a result of fulfillment of long-term programs on return of Russian- and American-origin research reactor nuclear fuel to the Russian Federation and the USA respectively. Accomplishment of these programs is a significant contribution to the nuclear non-proliferation regime enhancement.

For reference:

In pursuance of the objective aimed at enhancement of the nuclear non-proliferation regime, the Russian Federation upon the agreement with the USA, IAEA and other donor countries made a decision on return of nuclear fuel to its territory from Russian-origin research reactors. The Program covers 14 countries (Belarus, Bulgaria, Hungary, Vietnam, Germany, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Libya, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, and Czech Republic).

The following documents constituted the contractual basis for the fuel import Program accomplishment: a Treaty between the RF and USA governments on cooperation on import of the Russian-origin research reactor nuclear fuel to Russia dated May 27, 2004; a joint declaration of the presidents of Russia and the USA on cooperation in the field of nuclear safety provision signed in Bratislava in February 2005; a declaration of the presidents of Russia and the USA on cooperation in the nuclear field dated July 6, 2009; bilateral intergovernmental agreements on cooperation on import of research reactor irradiated nuclear fuel to the Russian Federation.

The Program was launched in 2002 (first batch of fresh highly enriched nuclear fuel was shipped in 2002). Shipments of irradiated nuclear fuel have started in 2006.

By 2016 the Russian Federation will have removed 2 478 kg of nuclear fuel under this Program. As of April 8, 2013 Russia has imported 790 kg of fresh and 1 208 kg (hereinafter – in uranium) of highly enriched irradiated nuclear fuel.

Under the agreement dated December 4, 1994 between the Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Czech Republic on cooperation in the nuclear field, 80 kg (in uranium) of LVR-15 research reactor spent nuclear fuel were removed from the Rez Nuclear Research Institute (Czech Republic) in 2007 and reprocessed at the reprocessing plant of Mayak PA in Russia.

Fresh nuclear fuel was removed from the Czech Republic in three shipments – in 2004 (6 kg), 2005 (14 kg) and 2010 (12.2 kg). In 2006 0.2 kg of plutonium were removed from the Czech Republic.

Thus, as a result of the sixth shipment of irradiated HEU fuel (68 kg) in early April 2013 г. the Czech Republic has become the seventh country among the countries covered by the Program completely relieved from the  highly enriched spent nuclear fuel.

In August 2011 the project on conversion of the research reactor for operation on low enriched nuclear fuel was completed. TVEL JSC delivered low enriched nuclear fuel to the Czech Republic in March 2011.

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