Search Results for United Kingdomtag:fissilematerials.org,2024:/cgi-bin/mt//feed/United Kingdom2024-03-29T02:11:44ZMovable Type 6.3.610311032022 civilian plutonium declarations submitted to the IAEAtag:fissilematerials.org,2024:/blog//3.11702024-03-25T16:12:12Z2024-03-25T16:14:01ZAdmin
This post contains a summary of INFCIRC/549 reports by the countries that submit annual civilian plutonium declarations that reflect the status of civilian plutonium stocks as of 31 December 2022. The total amount of plutonium declared as civilian was about...
2021 civilian plutonium declarations submitted to the IAEAtag:fissilematerials.org,2023:/blog//3.11452023-01-27T16:15:15Z2023-03-09T18:31:04ZAdmin
This post contains a summary of INFCIRC/549 reports by the countries that submit annual civilian plutonium declarations that reflect the status of civilian plutonium stocks as of 31 December 2021. The total amount of plutonium declared as civilian was about...
Magnox reprocessing plant completed operationstag:fissilematerials.org,2022:/blog//3.11322022-07-18T15:22:02Z2022-08-04T15:25:05ZAdmin
The Magnox Reprocessing Plant at Sellafield completed its operations. According to a report by the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, the plant took the final feed of spent fuel before midnight on 17 July 2022. The plant was reprocessing spent...
UK company requested five grams of HEU for radiation detectorstag:fissilematerials.org,2021:/blog//3.11182021-12-20T07:46:29Z2022-03-23T08:21:00ZAdmin
NBL Program Office (New Brunswick Laboratory) requested an export license XSNM3827 to supply five grams of 94% HEU to Ultra Electronics Energy, a UK company that manufactures various radiation detectors. UPDATE: The license XSNM3827 was issued on 21 March 2022....
2020 civilian plutonium declarations submitted to the IAEAtag:fissilematerials.org,2021:/blog//3.11152021-10-24T12:40:13Z2022-02-18T07:46:18ZAdmin
This post contains a summary of INFCIRC/549 reports by the countries that submit annual civilian plutonium declarations that reflect the status of civilian plutonium stocks as of 31 December 2020. Japan (INFCIRC/549/Add.1-24) reported owning the total of 46.1 tons of...
Status of plutonium management in Japan in 2020tag:fissilematerials.org,2021:/blog//3.11162021-07-09T13:38:27Z2021-10-24T13:40:51ZAdmin
The government of Japan released The Status Report of Plutonium Management in Japan - 2020, which details its plutonium holdings. According to the report, As of the end of 2020, the total amount of separated plutonium both managed within and...
2019 civilian plutonium and HEU declarations submitted to the IAEAtag:fissilematerials.org,2020:/blog//13.33932020-09-05T20:20:25Z2021-10-24T13:42:27ZAdmin
This post contains a summary of INFCIRC/549 reports by the countries that submit annual civilian plutonium declarations that reflect the status of civilian plutonium stocks as of 31 December 2019. Japan (INFCIRC/549/Add.1-23) reported owning the total of 45.5 tons of...
Status of plutonium management in Japan in 2019tag:fissilematerials.org,2020:/blog//13.33922020-08-21T14:24:09Z2021-08-31T14:50:21ZAdmin
The government of Japan released The Status Report of Plutonium Management in Japan - 2019, which details its plutonium holdings. According to the report, As of the end of 2019, the total amount of separated plutonium both managed within and...
UK Sellafield Magnox Reprocessing Plant to close in 2021, one year later than plannedtag:fissilematerials.org,2020:/blog//13.33882020-08-12T10:17:22Z2021-08-31T14:50:20ZAdmin
The UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority has approved resumed operations at the UK B205 Magnox Reprocessing Plant at Sellafield to allow completion of work on the remaining spent fuel from the UK's shutdown Magnox reactors. The B205 plant, which began operation...
US debates its future needs for enriched uranium for military and other purposestag:fissilematerials.org,2020:/blog//13.33652020-01-06T15:17:40Z2021-08-31T14:50:19ZAdmin
Frank von Hippel The US Congress is raising questions about Department of Energy plans for uranium enrichment for military and civilian purposes and of the role of Centrus, a private company which formerly was the US Enrichment Corporation (USEC). USEC...
New IPFM report on Britain's Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP)tag:fissilematerials.org,2019:/blog//13.33642019-12-23T20:03:18Z2021-08-31T14:50:19ZAdmin
A new report by Martin Forwood, Gordon MacKerron and William Walker assesses the operational and political history, legacies and lessons of Britain's Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP), which is now undergoing a clean-out prior to its final shutdown. In the...
2018 civilian plutonium and HEU declarations submitted to the IAEAtag:fissilematerials.org,2019:/blog//13.33602019-12-18T16:53:11Z2021-08-31T14:50:18ZAdmin
This post contains a summary of INFCIRC/549 reports by the countries that submit annual civilian plutonium declarations that reflect the status of civilian plutonium stocks as of 31 December 2018. Japan (INFCIRC/549/Add.1-22) reported owning the total of 45.7 tons of...
Status of plutonium management in Japan in 2018tag:fissilematerials.org,2019:/blog//13.33482019-07-30T11:12:14Z2021-08-31T14:50:18ZAdmin
The government of Japan released The Status Report of Plutonium Management in Japan - 2018, which details its plutonium holdings. According to the report, As of the end of 2018, the total amount of separated plutonium both managed within and...
Transfer of HEU from the United Kingdom to the United States is completedtag:fissilematerials.org,2019:/blog//13.33452019-05-09T22:18:14Z2021-08-31T14:50:17ZAdmin
U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration announced that is completed the transfer of about 700 kg of HEU from the United Kingdom. The transfer was a result of a swap agreement reached in 2016. The United States would down-blend the UK...
Sellafield's THORP reprocessing plant shut downtag:fissilematerials.org,2018:/blog//13.33162018-11-18T19:37:04Z2021-08-31T08:18:02ZAdmin
by Martin Forwood The UK government announced on 14 November 2018 that the THORP reprocessing plant at Sellafield has started its planned shutdown. A Sellafield Stakeholder committee was told that by 11 November 2018, THORP would have chopped up (sheared)...
New UK Voluntary Offer Agreement with IAEAtag:fissilematerials.org,2018:/blog//13.33232018-11-12T09:56:22Z2021-08-31T08:18:13ZAdmin
On 12 November 2018 the government of the United Kingdom presented to the Parliament the new Agreement for Application of Safeguards in Connection with Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, usually referred to as a Voluntary Offer Agreement (VOA),...
2017 civilian plutonium declarations submitted to IAEAtag:fissilematerials.org,2018:/blog//13.33062018-09-19T09:51:01Z2021-08-31T14:50:16ZAdmin
This post contains a summary of INFCIRC/549 reports by the countries that submit annual civilian plutonium declarations that reflect the status of civilian plutonium stocks as of 31 December 2017. The post will be updated as more states submit their...
Japan's new policy on its plutonium stockpiletag:fissilematerials.org,2018:/blog//13.32972018-08-20T11:07:52Z2018-08-20T12:04:46ZAdmin
Tatsujiro Suzuki and Masa Takubo On 31 July 2018, Japan's Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) issued a new policy paper, The Basic Principles on Japan's Utilization of Plutonium, which for the first time, stated that "Japan will reduce the size of...
Status of plutonium management in Japan in 2017tag:fissilematerials.org,2018:/blog//13.33012018-07-31T22:49:16Z2021-08-31T14:50:15ZAdmin
The government of Japan released The Status Report of Plutonium Management in Japan - 2017, which details its plutonium holdings. According to the report, As of the end of 2017, the total amount of separated plutonium both managed within and...
Small amount of HEU from the United States to the United Kingdomtag:fissilematerials.org,2018:/blog//13.32992018-03-08T21:40:14Z2018-08-27T22:01:23ZAdmin
On 8 March 2018, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission received a license request (XSNM3792)) from the U.S. Department of Energy to export "200 grams of uranium enriched to 93.19% of U-235" to Centronic Limited in the United Kingdom. The ultimate use...
2016 civilian plutonium reports submitted to IAEAtag:fissilematerials.org,2017:/blog//13.32482017-10-21T10:36:53Z2021-08-31T14:50:12ZAdmin
This post contains a summary of INFCIRC/549 reports by the countries that submit annual civilian plutonium declarations that reflect the status of civilian plutonium stocks as of 31 December 2016. Japan (INFCIRC/549/Add.1-20) reported having 9.9 tons of plutonium in the...
Nuclear Safeguards Bill introduced to UK parliamenttag:fissilematerials.org,2017:/blog//13.32472017-10-11T12:46:02Z2021-08-31T14:50:12ZAdmin
On October 11, 2017 a Nuclear Safeguards Bill was introduced to UK parliament. The purpose of the bill is to establish a system of domestic safeguards to replace the existing Euratom safeguards when the United Kingdom will withdraw from Euratom...
British pledge to go it alone on safeguards implementationtag:fissilematerials.org,2017:/blog//13.32422017-09-18T08:57:51Z2021-08-31T14:50:12ZAdmin
by David Lowry "As part of preparations for EU Exit, the UK is establishing a domestic nuclear safeguards regime to ensure that the UK continues to maintain its position as a responsible nuclear state and that withdrawal from Euratom will...
United Kingdom discusses implications of its departure from Euratom treatytag:fissilematerials.org,2017:/blog//13.32332017-08-02T14:58:54Z2021-08-31T08:18:20ZAdmin
by David Lowry Recently in the United Kingdom a major political debate has broken out over whether the planned departure by the UK from the European Union also must mean the UK's departure from Euratom. In a debate in the...
Status of plutonium management in Japan in 2016 tag:fissilematerials.org,2017:/blog//13.32312017-08-02T10:14:05Z2021-08-31T14:50:11ZAdmin
The government of Japan released The Status Report of Plutonium Management in Japan - 2016, which details its plutonium holdings. According to the report, As of the end of 2016, the total amount of separated plutonium both managed within and...
High Level FMCT Expert Preparatory Group begins its worktag:fissilematerials.org,2017:/blog//13.32142017-03-03T10:25:47Z2021-08-31T14:50:11ZAdmin
The first session of the High Level Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty (FMCT) Expert Preparatory Group took place in New York on March 2-3, 2017. The Group was established by the UN Secretary General at the request of the UN General...
More than twenty states commit to minimize HEU in civilian applicationstag:fissilematerials.org,2017:/blog//13.32132017-02-16T22:25:25Z2023-03-31T08:39:30ZAdmin
A group of 21 states--Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Chile, Denmark, Finland, Georgia, Mexico, Netherlands, Nigeria, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Republic of Korea, Romania, Singapore, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States--made a commitment to minimize and eliminate the...
United Kingdom takes ownership of some Spanish and German plutoniumtag:fissilematerials.org,2017:/blog//13.32122017-01-19T15:38:52Z2021-08-31T14:50:11ZAdmin
The U.K. Nuclear Decommissioning Authority is taking ownership of about 600 kg of separated plutonium that has already been stored in the country. The material is described as "600 kg of material previously owned by a Spanish utility" and "5...
Sellafield's Evaporator D Project - A Lesson for La Hague?tag:fissilematerials.org,2016:/blog//13.32052016-12-19T22:59:12Z2021-08-31T14:50:10ZAdmin
Martin Forwood If nuclear power has been labelled an extraordinarily expensive way of boiling a kettle, then Evaporator D--known to the workforce as the 'Big Kettle'--must be breaking all records. Initially costed at £90 million in 2007 (then US$185 million)...
2015 civilian plutonium reports submitted to IAEAtag:fissilematerials.org,2016:/blog//13.31812016-09-23T22:15:13Z2021-08-31T14:50:09ZAdmin
This post contains a summary of INFCIRC/549 reports by the countries that submit annual civilian plutonium declarations that reflect the status of civilian plutonium stocks as of 31 December 2015. Japan (INFCIRC/549/Add.1-19) reported having 10.7 tons of plutonium in the...
Dealing with Russia's concerns about the isotopics of disposed plutoniumtag:fissilematerials.org,2016:/new/blog//13.30982016-04-15T14:46:39Z2021-08-31T14:50:08ZAdmin
Edwin Lyman and Frank von Hippel Senators Lindsey Graham and Tim Scott of South Carolina have interpreted remarks by Russian president Putin on the 2000 U.S.-Russian Plutonium Management and Disposition Agreement (PMDA) as requiring that the United States continue with...
Questionable HEU exchange between United Kingdom and United Statestag:fissilematerials.org,2016:/new/blog//13.30952016-04-05T13:43:00Z2021-08-31T14:50:07ZAdmin
In its national statement at the 2016 Nuclear Security Summit, the United Kingdom announced that The UK will transfer around 700kg of Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) to the United States. In return, the United States will provide HEU in a...
Ongoing transfers of weapon materials between the United States and the United Kingdomtag:fissilematerials.org,2016:/new/blog//13.30872016-03-01T16:47:47Z2024-02-20T14:18:36ZAdmin
According to UK Ministry of Defense official answer to a parliamentary request about flights that carry nuclear materials, the United Kingdom and the United States regularly transfer weapon-related material between the two states: In the last five years, 23 flights...
IPFM Report "Alternatives to MOX" in Chinesetag:fissilematerials.org,2015:/new/blog//13.30772015-12-22T00:28:55Z2021-08-31T14:50:06ZAdmin
The International Panel on Fissile Materials research report, Alternatives to MOX: Direct-disposal Options for Stockpiles of Separated Plutonium, by Frank von Hippel and Gordon MacKerron is now available in Chinese. The report was originally release in April 2015. The link...
IPFM Report "Plutonium Separation in Nuclear Power Programs" in Chinesetag:fissilematerials.org,2015:/new/blog//13.30762015-12-22T00:19:39Z2021-08-31T14:50:06ZAdmin
The overview chapter of the International Panel on Fissile Materials's research report Plutonium Separation in Nuclear Power Programs: Status, Problems, and Prospects of Civilian Reprocessing Around the World, released in June 2015, is now available in Chinese. The link to...
Sellafield's ageing THORP plant flunks major foreign fuel reprocessing targettag:fissilematerials.org,2015:/new/blog//13.30712015-11-06T22:11:04Z2021-09-04T14:01:21ZAdmin
Martin Forwood Stumbling along at half speed to its scheduled end-date of 2018, Sellafield's 'flagship' Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP) continues to notch up missed targets - this time the completion of all overseas reprocessing contracts by the end of...
2014 civilian plutonium (and HEU) reports submitted to IAEAtag:fissilematerials.org,2015:/new/blog//13.30682015-10-12T09:21:23Z2021-08-31T14:50:05ZAdmin
As of October 8, 2015, the IAEA had published as INFCIRC/549 documents reports by eight out of nine countries that submit annual civilian plutonium declarations. The new declarations reflect the status of civilian plutonium stock as of 31 December 2014....
Plutonium disposition in the United Kingdom - Immobilization option re-opened?tag:fissilematerials.org,2015:/new/blog//13.30542015-06-30T15:45:06Z2021-08-31T14:50:04ZAdmin
Martin Forwood with Mycle Schneider The case for re-using the UK's separated plutonium in nuclear reactors looks less secure than previous official pronouncements would suggest. The U.K.'s stockpile is estimated by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) to have reached 140...
United Kingdom transfers "breeder material" from Dounreay to Sellafieldtag:fissilematerials.org,2015:/new/blog//13.30492015-06-01T08:37:38Z2021-08-31T14:50:04ZAdmin
U.K. Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) completed the shipment of 11 tonnes of "breeder material" from the Dounreay site to Sellafield. The material consists of natural uranium fuel rods that were irradiated in the Dounreay Fast Reactor before it was shut...
Alternatives to MOX: a new report by the International Panel on Fissile Materialstag:fissilematerials.org,2015:/new/blog//13.30362015-04-13T11:45:18Z2021-08-31T14:50:03ZAdmin
The International Panel on Fissile Materials has released a new research report, Alternatives to MOX: Direct-disposal Options for Stockpiles of Separated Plutonium, by Frank von Hippel and Gordon MacKerron (pdf file). The report reviews programs in France, Japan, the United...
Ukraine and Holtec sign an updated agreement to build spent fuel storagetag:fissilematerials.org,2015:/new/blog//13.30272015-01-26T21:11:35Z2021-08-31T14:50:02ZAdmin
On 26 January 2015, Energoatom of Ukraine and Holtec International signed an updated agreement to build a dry spent fuel facility storage site in Ukraine. The construction is expected to be completed by 2020. The project has a long history....
Ukraine begins construction of centralized spent fuel storagetag:fissilematerials.org,2014:/new/blog//13.30182014-10-21T14:17:30Z2021-08-31T14:50:01ZAdmin
On 21 October 2104 Ukraine began construction work at the site of the centralized spent fuel storage facility. The facility, which will receive spent fuel of the Rovno, Khmelnitsky, and South Ukraine plants, is being built at the site of...
Japan's 2013 plutonium reporttag:fissilematerials.org,2014:/new/blog//13.30032014-09-16T10:38:50Z2021-08-31T14:50:00ZAdmin
On September 16, 2014 Japan's Atomic Energy Commission released its annual report "The Current Situation of Plutonium Management in Japan" (in Japanese). According to the report, at the end of 2013 Japan owned 47,145 kg of plutonium, of which 10,833...
UK civilian plutonium and uranium stocks in 2013tag:fissilematerials.org,2014:/new/blog//13.30002014-08-15T21:56:10Z2021-08-31T14:50:00ZAdmin
The United Kingdom released information about its holdings of civilian plutonium and uranium as of December 31, 2013. The report was published and an IAEA document INFCIRC/549/Add.8/17. According to the document, as of the end of 2013 the U.K. had...
UK decision to take over foreign plutonium raises safeguards questionstag:fissilematerials.org,2014:/new/blog//13.29922014-07-19T05:45:24Z2021-08-31T14:49:59ZAdmin
By David Lowry, with Mycle Schneider The UK Government has announced that it has struck an agreement with German and Swedish governments to take title to plutonium arising from the reprocessing at Sellafield and management at Dounreay respectively of spent...
United States and Japan to remove plutonium and HEU from Fast Critical Assemblytag:fissilematerials.org,2014:/new/blog//13.29722014-03-24T11:21:41Z2021-08-31T14:49:58ZAdmin
The United States and Japan announced today that they will remove all plutonium and HEU from the Fast Critical Assembly (FCA) in JAERI Tokai Research Establishment. The agreement to remove the plutonium was first made public in January 2014. The...
Sweden wants to transfer ownership of 834 kg of separated plutonium to the United Kingdomtag:fissilematerials.org,2014:/new/blog//13.29712014-03-18T16:01:45Z2021-08-31T14:49:58ZAdmin
By David Lowry and Johan Swahn The Swedish government is set to approve the transfer of ownership of 834 kg of separated plutonium from the Swedish nuclear power company OKG to the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, NDA. OKG has applied...
U.K. plutonium re-use policy slammed in House of Commons reporttag:fissilematerials.org,2014:/new/blog//13.29662014-02-16T19:00:10Z2021-08-31T14:49:58ZAdmin
By Dr David Lowry with Mycle Schneider The most politically important and influential committee of the British Parliament has bluntly told the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) that it "must learn from past mistakes and ensure that there is a...
Japan to return plutonium used in critical assembly to the United Statestag:fissilematerials.org,2014:/new/blog//13.29622014-01-27T11:13:38Z2016-07-29T11:46:04ZAdmin
The United States and Japan are reported to have reached an agreement to return plutonium that is used in the Fast Critical Assembly (FCA) in JAERI Tokai Research Establishment, Tokai-mura, Ibaraki Prefecture. The formal agreement is expected to be concluded...
Nuclear train accident in Britain latest of a recent seriestag:fissilematerials.org,2014:/new/blog//13.29612014-01-21T10:29:06Z2016-07-29T11:46:04ZAdmin
David Lowry with Mycle Schneider A train transporting an empty nuclear transport wagon collided with a car straddling the level crossing at Silverdale on the Cumbria/Lancashire border in the UK at around 1900 hours on 14 January 2014. Although the...
United Kingdom remains undecided on plutonium reuse optionstag:fissilematerials.org,2014:/new/blog//13.29602014-01-20T14:27:46Z2021-08-31T14:49:57ZAdmin
The U.K. Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) published a position paper "Progress on approaches to the management of separated plutonium" (PDF) in which it outlined its position regarding alternatives to the use of MOX fuel in light water reactors that was...
Transfer of Georgian HEU spent fuel from Dounreay to Savannah River Sitetag:fissilematerials.org,2013:/new/blog//13.29342013-08-30T12:22:49Z2017-09-23T08:21:38ZAdmin
According to the information released by CORE (Cumbrians Opposed to a Radioactive Environment), U.K. Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and U.S. Department of Energy are planning to transfer spent HEU fuel assemblies that are currently stored at Dounreay, Scotland to the...
UK nuclear warhead dismantlement programtag:fissilematerials.org,2013:/new/blog//13.29312013-08-26T12:59:37Z2016-07-29T11:46:02ZAdmin
The UK Ministry of Defense revealed some details about its nuclear warhead dismantlement program in its response to a Freedom of Information Act request filed by journalist Rob Edwards (pdf copy of the MoD letter). The warhead dismantlement program is...
United Kingdom declares its 2012 civilian plutonium and HEU stockstag:fissilematerials.org,2013:/new/blog//13.29232013-06-23T19:46:56Z2021-08-31T14:49:55ZAdmin
The United Kingdom published information about its holdings of civilian plutonium and HEU as of December 31, 2012. These numbers will be later submitted to IAEA as an INFCIRC/549/Add.8/16. [UPDATE 07/19/2013: The document was published on the IAEA site on...
Lessons learned from Sellafield MOX Planttag:fissilematerials.org,2013:/new/blog//13.29222013-06-20T08:01:43Z2021-08-31T14:49:55ZAdmin
The United Kingdom released a report "Sellafield MOX Plant - Lessons Learned Review" (PDF) issued in July 2012. The release was made in response to a Freedom of Information Act request filed by Dr David Lowry, an independent environmental policy...
Civilian plutonium swap increased the amount of UK owned plutoniumtag:fissilematerials.org,2013:/new/blog//13.29162013-04-23T08:36:18Z2021-08-31T14:49:55ZAdmin
The UK Department of Energy and Climate Change announced a series of plutonium title swaps that will increase the amount of UK owned separated plutonium. However, these being title swaps, no physical transfer of material will take place. According to...
Japan's 2011 civilian plutonium declarationtag:fissilematerials.org,2012:/new/blog//13.28932012-10-03T19:42:32Z2021-08-31T14:49:54ZAdmin
Japan submitted to IAEA its annual declaration of holdings of civilian plutonium as of December 31, 2011 - INFCIRC/549/Add.1/15. According to the document, at the end of 2011 Japan had 4.4 tonnes of separated unirradiated plutonium at the reprocessing facilities,...
UK civilian plutonium and HEU stocks in 2011tag:fissilematerials.org,2012:/new/blog//13.28832012-08-09T09:45:22Z2021-08-31T14:49:53ZAdmin
The United Kingdom submitted its annual declaration of holdings of civilian plutonium and HEU that describes its stock as of December 31, 2011 - INFCIRC/549/Add.8/15. According to the document, the U.K. had 113.3 tonnes of separated unirradiated plutonium at the...
United Kingdom takes ownership of German plutonium in title swaptag:fissilematerials.org,2012:/new/blog//13.28772012-07-13T20:01:49Z2021-08-31T14:49:53ZAdmin
According to a report in World Nuclear News, United Kingdom took ownership of four tonnes of German plutonium in a series of title swaps that made an equivalent amount of plutonium available to Germany in France. This plutonium will be...
United Kingdom to explore alternatives to use of MOX in light-water reactorstag:fissilematerials.org,2012:/new/blog//13.28752012-06-27T12:14:19Z2021-08-31T14:49:53ZAdmin
The U.K. Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) announced its intent to explore alternatives to use of plutonium in MOX fuel for light-water reactors. An NDA report issued in December 2011 identified the MOX option as the preferred strategy for dealing with...
U.K. Nuclear Decommissioning Authority publishes oxide fuel strategytag:fissilematerials.org,2012:/new/blog//13.28702012-06-07T19:37:35Z2016-07-29T11:45:56ZAdmin
U.K. Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) published Preferred Option on Oxide Fuels, which include spent fuel of foreign light-water reactors that is stored at Sellafield awaiting reprocessing at the THORP plant and the fuel of UK's Advanced Graphite Reactors (AGR). According...
United Kingdom to look at alternatives to MOXtag:fissilematerials.org,2012:/new/blog//13.28422012-02-24T22:48:59Z2022-03-13T16:24:21ZAdmin
The U.K. Nuclear Decommissioning Authority issued an invitation to submit proposals for the long-term management of plutonium. This invitation comes less than three months after it identified using plutonium in MOX fuel as the preferred option for dealing with its...
Another malfunction at the Rokkasho reprocessing planttag:fissilematerials.org,2012:/new/blog//13.28402012-01-31T21:14:16Z2022-03-13T16:24:21ZAdmin
Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd (JNFL) announced that it halted the preparatory work for a test run of the spent fuel reprocessing plant in Rokkasho. The problem was caused by a malfunction of a furnace that is involved in the radioactive...
Blue Ribbon Commission released its final reporttag:fissilematerials.org,2012:/new/blog//13.28392012-01-26T20:58:39Z2022-03-13T16:24:21ZAdmin
The U.S. Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future released its Final Report to the Secretary of Energy. The commission was established in January 2010 to provide the Secretary of Energy with "recommendations for developing a safe, long-term solution to managing...
United Kingdom plans to convert its civilian plutonium to MOXtag:fissilematerials.org,2011:/new/blog//13.28282011-12-02T20:28:11Z2022-03-13T16:24:20ZAdmin
The U.K. government released a document Management of the UK's Plutonium Stocks that outlines a strategy of dealing with the U.K.'s separated civilian plutonium. The document is part of the public consultation initiated by the U.K. government in July 2010. In...
International Panel on Fissile Materials releases report on management of spent fuel from nuclear power reactorstag:fissilematerials.org,2011:/new/blog//13.28182011-09-26T10:03:01Z2021-08-31T14:49:51ZAdmin
The International Panel on Fissile Materials has released a new report, Managing Spent Fuel from Nuclear Power Reactors: Experience and Lessons from Around the World (pdf copy). The report provides an overview of the policy and technical challenges faced internationally...
Closure of Sellafield MOX Plant Announcedtag:fissilematerials.org,2011:/new/blog//13.28062011-08-03T16:37:42Z2022-03-13T16:24:20ZAdmin
By Mycle SchneiderAs yet another consequence of the unfolding Fukushima crisis, the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) announced today the closure of Britain's only commercial MOX fuel fabrication facility "at the earliest practical opportunity." The decision comes hardly more than...
High-level waste shipments from Sellafield to Japan continuetag:fissilematerials.org,2011:/new/blog//13.28142011-08-02T17:22:28Z2022-03-13T16:24:20ZAdmin
According to a report by World Nuclear News, a shipment of high-level waste left Sellafield on August 2, 2011 to Barrow-in-Furness, where it is to be loaded aboard the Pacific Grebe, one of the ships built to transport nuclear waste....
Draft report of the Blue Ribbon Commissiontag:fissilematerials.org,2011:/new/blog//13.28022011-07-29T17:05:49Z2022-03-13T16:24:19ZAdmin
The U.S. Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future, established in January 2010 to provide recommendations regarding spent nuclear fuel and nuclear waste, released its Draft report to the Secretary of Energy. The release opens the public comment period that...
Managing nuclear spent fuel: Policy lessons from a 10-country studytag:fissilematerials.org,2011:/new/blog//13.28072011-06-28T21:55:55Z2021-08-31T14:49:51ZAdmin
BULLETIN OF THE ATOMIC SCIENTISTS | 27 JUNE 2011 BY HAROLD FEIVESON, ZIA MIAN, M. V. RAMANA, AND FRANK VON HIPPEL The International Panel on Fissile Materials is in the process of finalizing an analysis of the policy and technical...
United Kingdom declares civilian plutonium and HEU holdings in 2010tag:fissilematerials.org,2011:/new/blog//13.27992011-06-28T13:10:46Z2022-03-13T16:24:19ZAdmin
The United Kingdom submitted its annual declaration of holdings of civilian plutonium and HEU that describes its stock as of December 31, 2010 - INFCIRC/549/Add.8/14. According to the document, the U.K. had 110.3 tonnes of separated unirradiated plutonium at the...
Sellafield radioactive discharges: Breach of international convention in normal operationtag:fissilematerials.org,2011:/new/blog//13.27752011-02-25T10:23:15Z2016-07-29T11:45:50ZAdmin
A report published on 17 February 2011, calling the UK Sellafield site "the dirty old man of Europe", points to plans for further increases in radioactive discharges to the atmosphere and the Irish sea. The discharges are dominated by the...
Sellafield Product & Residue Store received first batch of plutoniumtag:fissilematerials.org,2011:/new/blog//13.27782011-02-11T07:22:18Z2022-03-13T16:24:18ZAdmin
The Sellafield Product & Residue Store facility (SPRS) received its first batch of plutonium in preparation for commissioning of the facility for normal operations. Construction of the facility was completed in May 2010. SPRS is designed to store U.K. separated...
Plutonium to MOX: "Repeating Mistakes of the Past"tag:fissilematerials.org,2011:/new/blog//13.27802011-02-10T14:11:27Z2022-03-13T16:24:18ZAdmin
Guest contribution by Martin Forwood The UK Government's preference to convert Sellafield's 112 ton plutonium stockpile into MOX fuel will come as little surprise to seasoned observers who, by now, are accustomed to the preoccupation of successive Governments to repeat...
UK Separated Plutonium Management - A New Sellafield MOX Plant?tag:fissilematerials.org,2011:/new/blog//13.27812011-02-10T13:52:20Z2016-07-29T11:45:50ZAdmin
On 7 February 2011 the UK Government opened a public consultation into the "long-term management of the UK's stock of separated civil plutonium". According to the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) consultation paper, the UK currently holds 112...
Another delay for Rokkasho reprocessing planttag:fissilematerials.org,2010:/new/blog//13.26892010-09-01T19:23:38Z2016-07-29T11:45:44ZAdmin
According to a Kyodo News report, start of the reprocessing plant in Rokkasho will be delayed by at least two years by the plant operator, Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd. AtomInfo.ru estimates that this is the 18th delay for Rokkasho. The plan...
United Kingdom's declaration of civilian plutonium and HEU in 2009tag:fissilematerials.org,2010:/new/blog//13.27072010-08-16T15:43:46Z2016-07-29T11:45:45ZAdmin
The United Kingdom submitted its annual declaration of holdings of civilian plutonium and HEU that describes its stock as of December 31, 2009 - INFCIRC/549/Add.8/13.According to the document, the U.K. had 107.7 tonnes of separated unirradiated plutonium at the reprocessing...
U.K. opens storage facility at Sellafieldtag:fissilematerials.org,2010:/new/blog//13.27552010-05-21T13:03:32Z2022-03-13T16:24:14ZAdmin
The United Kingdom completed construction of the Sellafield Product and Residues Store (SPRS) - a facility that will store U.K. nuclear materials, primarily plutonium that has been separated from spent reactor fuel. The facility, which could accommodate up to 100...
UK begins return of high-level waste to foreign customers amid uncertainty about its own plutoniumtag:fissilematerials.org,2010:/new/blog//13.26662010-04-16T19:34:09Z2022-03-13T16:24:14ZAdmin
Guest contribution by David Lowry, Independent Consultant, London, UK In January-March 2010 the United Kingdom completed the first shipment of foreign high activity radioactive waste (HLW) that was produced by the spent nuclear fuel reprocessing program. The waste was delivered...
Poor safety record at Sellafield plutonium facilitiestag:fissilematerials.org,2010:/new/blog//13.26472010-02-18T14:14:41Z2016-07-29T11:45:41ZAdmin
Guest contribution by Martin Forwood The recent finding of the U.K. Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) reminded of the poor safety record at the Sellafield plutonium facilities. On 22 January 2010 NII found out that critical supply of cooling water to...
History and status of fast breeder reactor programs worldwidetag:fissilematerials.org,2010:/new/blog//13.26482010-02-17T18:30:30Z2024-03-27T14:05:40ZAdmin
The International Panel on Fissile Materials released a new research report, Fast Breeder Reactor Programs: History and Status (a pdf copy of the report is here). The report argues that the track record of all fast breeder reactor programs demonstrates that sodium-cooled reactors cannot...
Blue Ribbon Commission will examine fuel cycletag:fissilematerials.org,2010:/new/blog//13.26312010-01-29T09:14:58Z2022-03-13T16:24:12ZAdmin
U.S. Secretary of Energy Stephen Chu announced the formation of the Blue Ribbon Commission on America's Nuclear Future. The commission will provide "recommendations for developing a safe, long-term solution to managing the Nation's used nuclear fuel and nuclear waste." (Technorati token: 4QVAYC9VTN4Q)
Improvements of the MPC&A system at Mayaktag:fissilematerials.org,2010:/new/blog//13.26232010-01-21T11:20:01Z2016-07-29T11:45:38ZAdmin
The Mayak Plant completed a major upgrade of the MPC&A system at its RT-1 reprocessing facility. The upgrade was funded by the TACIS (Technical Aid to Commonwealth of Independent States) program of the European Commission. The new system will allow...
Ellen Tauscher outlines U.S. policies on nuclear fuel cycletag:fissilematerials.org,2010:/new/blog//13.26382010-01-19T09:34:03Z2016-07-29T11:45:40ZAdmin
On 19 January 2010, Ellen Tauscher, US Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security, gave a presentation at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University entitled "Addressing the Nuclear Fuel Cycle: Internationalizing Enrichment Services and Solving the Problem of Spent...
Repair work completed on waste disposal site at La Haguetag:fissilematerials.org,2009:/new/blog//13.26002009-12-11T19:53:49Z2016-07-29T11:45:36ZAdmin
The French Nuclear Waste Management Agency ANDRA announced on 11 December 2009 the completion of repair work on the cover of the low- and intermediate-level waste disposal site CSM (Centre de Stockage de la Manche) adjacent to AREVA's spent fuel...
The end of Yucca Mountaintag:fissilematerials.org,2009:/new/blog//13.25632009-02-27T14:44:36Z2016-07-29T11:45:34ZAdmin
The new U.S. administration effectively terminated the Yucca Mountain spent fuel repository project by removing virtually all funding for it. According to World Nuclear News, the Department of Energy announced that "The Yucca Mountain program will be scaled back to...
Russia will bring back spent fuel from research reactor in Romaniatag:fissilematerials.org,2009:/new/blog//13.25792009-02-19T22:44:04Z2016-07-29T11:45:35ZAdmin
Russia and Romania signed an agreement that would allow Russia to bring back spent fuel of the research reactor at Turnu-Magurele, Bellona reports. The agreement was signed in Bucharest on February 19, 2009. The reactor in Magurele is a Soviet-built...
Cooperation on shared nuclear waste repository in Europetag:fissilematerials.org,2009:/new/blog//13.25542009-02-15T02:22:58Z2016-07-29T11:45:33ZAdmin
European countries established European Repository Development Organization (ERDO) to work on the concept of regional geological repositories for all kind of nuclear wastes. The 14 countries backing the proposal are: Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania,...
Launch of Rokkasho plant delayedtag:fissilematerials.org,2009:/new/blog//13.25452009-02-12T02:29:39Z2016-07-29T11:45:33ZAdmin
Completion of Japan's Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant is delayed until at least August 2009. The plant originally was supposed to begin operations in mid-2007....
Large spent fuel repository planned for Krasnoyarsk regiontag:fissilematerials.org,2009:/new/blog//13.25572009-02-02T23:07:25Z2022-03-13T16:24:11ZAdmin
Krasnoyarsk region has been chosen to host a large spent fuel repository that would accommodate "more than 40,000 tonnes" of spent fuel, according to Igor Konyshev, a Rosatom official. This repository appears to be different from the one the storage...
GTRI to bring gap material from Canada, South Africatag:fissilematerials.org,2009:/new/blog//13.25692009-01-23T18:25:02Z2016-07-29T11:45:34ZAdmin
According to a January 23, 2009, Federal Register notice, the Global Threat Reduction Initiative will soon be transporting additional "gap" material for storage at the Savannah River Site in Georgia. An article in the February 2, 2009, Nuclear Weapons and...
Russia prepares to bring spent fuel from Hungarytag:fissilematerials.org,2008:/new/blog//13.25342008-09-08T18:59:43Z2022-03-13T16:24:11ZAdmin
Bellona reports that Rostechnadzor announced today its approval of a spent fuel shipment from Hungary. Spent fuel of the VVR-SZM research reactor in Budapest is expected to be brought to Russia later this year. It is not clear if the...
Rosatom plans for Zheleznogorsktag:fissilematerials.org,2008:/new/blog//13.25332008-09-04T12:18:41Z2022-03-13T16:24:10ZAdmin
During his visit to Zheleznogorsk, Sergey Kiriyenko, the head of Rosatom, announced the plans to build a large spent fuel storage and reprocessing hub in Zheleznogorsk. The first part of the plan includes completion of the spent fuel storage facilities...
Construction of spent fuel storage facility in Zheleznogorsk to resumetag:fissilematerials.org,2008:/new/blog//13.25162008-08-29T06:32:18Z2016-07-29T11:45:31ZAdmin
In April 2008, Spetsstroy, the company that was building the spent fuel storage facility in Zheleznogorsk, suspended the construction citing financial dispute with Rosatom. Rosatom responded by launching a tender for the completion of the project. This week, the contract...
Spent HEU fuel removed from Bulgariatag:fissilematerials.org,2008:/new/blog//13.25252008-07-18T23:25:15Z2016-07-29T11:45:32ZAdmin
NNSA announced that all HEU fuel has been removed from Bulgaria after a shipment of 6.3 kg of spent fuel of the IRT-2000 research reactor to Russia. The shipment used three VPVR/M specialized transportation casks. The fuel was delivered to...
Fuel from reactor in Hungary will be removed this yeartag:fissilematerials.org,2008:/new/blog//13.25102008-07-16T16:36:55Z2016-07-29T11:45:31ZAdmin
According a NNSA representative, NNSA is planning to remove HEU fuel from the research reactor in Hungary in FY 2008. The reactor in question is apparently the VVR-SZM in Budapest. It is likely that fresh fuel will be removed first,...
Mayak plans expansion of reprocessingtag:fissilematerials.org,2008:/new/blog//13.25032008-07-02T23:15:25Z2016-07-29T11:45:30ZAdmin
Director of the PO Mayak, Sergei Baranov, announced the plan to build new reprocessing facilities that would allow Mayak to reprocess VVER-1000 fuel as well as "any other Russian or foreign fuel" and "Soviet legacy fuel". Currently Mayak has two...
Russia will work to remove spent fuel of a research reactor from Bulgariatag:fissilematerials.org,2008:/new/blog//13.25142008-06-02T14:36:27Z2016-07-29T11:45:31ZAdmin
Rostekhnadzor initiated an environmental impact assessment of a project to remove spent fuel of the IRT-2000 research reactor from Bulgaria. The fuel will be taken to Mayak, where it will be reprocessed. Fresh HEU fuel was removed from the IRT-2000...
Spent HEU fuel removed from Latviatag:fissilematerials.org,2008:/new/blog//13.25172008-05-16T23:28:46Z2016-07-29T11:45:31ZAdmin
Latvia shipped all spent fuel of its IRT-M research reactor in Salaspils to Russia on May 12, 2008. The shipment, which contained 14.4 kg of spent fuel, was delivered by train to the Mayak facility in Russia. The operation involved...
Ukraine is holding back its spent fuel due to raising costtag:fissilematerials.org,2008:/new/blog//13.24962008-03-30T16:08:40Z2022-03-13T16:24:10ZAdmin
Energoatom announced that it reduces the number of spent fuel shipments that it will send to Russia in 2008 from six to four. Earlier, it planned five shipments of VVER-1000 fuel and one of VVER-440 fuel. According to Energoatom, Russia...
Russian-Indian agreement on Kudankulamtag:fissilematerials.org,2008:/new/blog//13.24842008-02-13T03:24:14Z2016-07-29T11:45:29ZAdmin
Russia and India signed an agreement that commits Russia to build four additional power reactors at Kudankulam. It appears that one of the conditions of the contract is that Russia will supply the reactors with fuel and then will take...
Ukraine is building spent fuel storage facilitytag:fissilematerials.org,2008:/new/blog//13.24742008-01-27T23:32:00Z2022-03-13T16:24:09ZAdmin
Ukraine is moving to build a spent fuel storage facility on its territory. According to a press report, the national company, Energoatom, will submit draft legislation to the parliament by the end of 2008. The facility is expected to accomodate up...
Russia raises the cost of spent fuel takebacktag:fissilematerials.org,2008:/new/blog//13.24642008-01-24T15:59:45Z2016-07-29T11:45:26ZAdmin
According to a RBC News report,Russia wants to raise the price it charges Ukraine for taking its spent fuel back by about 18% in 2008. Accoring to the report, "It cost $372 to ship a kilogram of spent fuel in...