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U.S., Russia Reach Halfway Point of Nuclear Fuel Agreement

30 September 2005

Weapons-grade fuel from dismantled nuclear weapons being converted

The United States and Russia have reached the halfway mark in an agreement on the conversion of highly enriched uranium (HEU) extracted from dismantled Russian nuclear warheads into low-enriched uranium (LEU) for use in commercial power reactors in the United States.

A joint statement issued by the U.S. departments of State and Energy, the Russian Foreign Ministry and the Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency says that as of September, Russia has converted 250 tons of HEU, equivalent to 10,000 nuclear warheads, into low-enriched uranium.

In a separate statement the White House said, “Marking this important nonproliferation milestone underscores the success of U.S. nonproliferation cooperation with Russia” in eliminating HEU and converting it to peaceful uses.

The 1993 agreement calls for Russia to convert a total of 500 metric tons of HEU – enough for 20,000 nuclear weapons.  The LEU is purchased by the United States and used in nuclear reactors that provide 10 percent of America's electricity.

“Today, at the halfway point of this program, the United States and Russia remain committed to completing the down-blending of the remaining material by 2013,” the White House said.

For an outline of cooperative efforts by the United States and Russia to upgrade the security of Russia’s nuclear facilities, see the June fact sheet from the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).

Following is the U.S.-Russia joint statement:

(begin text)

U.S. Department of State
http://www.state.gov
Office of the Spokesman
September 30, 2005

Statement by Sean McCormack, Spokesman

MIDPOINT OF THE SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM (HEU) AGREEMENT
BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND RUSSIA

The following is a joint statement of the Departments of State and Energy of the United States of America and of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Federal Atomic Energy Agency of the Russian Federation marking the successful midpoint of implementation of the HEU agreement:

September 2005 marks a significant milestone in the implementation of the HEU Agreement.  Formally known as the Agreement between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Russian Federation Concerning the Disposition of Highly Enriched Uranium from Nuclear Weapons, dated 18 February 1993, the HEU Agreement is one of the most important instruments for cooperation between our two governments.  Two hundred fifty metric tons of highly enriched uranium (HEU), equivalent to 10,000 nuclear warheads, have been converted to low enriched uranium (LEU).  This accomplishment marks the halfway point towards the goal of eliminating 500 metric tons of HEU by 2013, when the Agreement is set to be fully implemented.

Under the HEU Agreement, the Russian Federation has agreed to process HEU extracted from dismantled nuclear warheads into LEU, which is used in the United States for the peaceful purpose of generation of electricity in commercial power reactors.  To implement the HEU Agreement, the United States and the Russian Federation have entered into a number of additional agreements, including a package of agreements concluded on March 24, 1999, which established a mechanism for the disposition of the natural uranium component of the LEU.  These agreements have been implemented, in part, through contracts between commercial companies, whose activities in implementation of these agreements are carefully managed and overseen, as appropriate, by the U.S. and Russian Governments.

Pursuant to the HEU Agreement and the implementing contracts, 30 metric tons of Russian HEU are converted each year into LEU for use as fuel in U.S. nuclear power plants, generating approximately 10% of U.S. electricity.  A unique feature of the HEU Agreement is that it is designed to realize its nuclear threat reduction goals without cost to the taxpayers of the United States or Russia.  The appropriate payments and the return of the natural uranium feed component received by the Russian Federation ensure the Russian Federation's continued conversion of HEU into LEU under the Agreement and the construction and operation of facilities for this conversion, as well as a variety of other valuable activities, such as nuclear safety upgrades, conversion of military facilities to peaceful uses, and environmental clean-up.

Moreover, as noted by delegates of the United States and the Russian Federation at the Seventh Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference held in New York in May of 2005, the HEU Agreement has played a valuable role in fulfilling the Article VI obligations of the United States and Russia under the NPT to pursue negotiations on nuclear disarmament.

The United States and the Russian Federation continue to support the HEU Agreement and its goals and recognize it as one of the most significant bilateral initiatives between our governments in the area of nuclear weapons dismantlement while attaining valuable energy and environmental benefits. 

Consistent with the mutual policy of our governments to strengthen cooperation in this field, and considering the crucial role played by the HEU Agreement, the United States and the Russian Federation intend to ensure that the HEU Agreement is implemented successfully and without any hindrances to achieving this goal.

(end text)

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)