2/2004: CONSTRUCTION OF MOX FUEL PLANTS DELAYED FOR ONE YEAR
In February 2004, Bellona Foundation and ITAR-TASS reported that, due to liability disputes and a lack of funding, Russia and the United States will delay  the construction of mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel fabrication facilities proposed under the US-Russia Plutonium Disposition Agreement for one year.[1,2] The Bush administration's fiscal year (FY) 2005 budget request indicates that groundbreaking for a MOX plant in the United States has been moved from the end of FY 2004 to May 2005.[1] In Russia, the construction of a similar facility has also been put off because of setbacks in promised funding from the G8 countries.[2]
Sources:
[1] Charles Digges,"MOX plan delayed by Bush administration budget documents," Bellona Foundation, 11 February 2004.
[2] German Solomatin, "Nachalo stroitelstva v Rossii i SShA zavodov po proizvodstvu topliva iz oruzheynogo plutoniya perenositsya na god," ITAR-TASS, 12 February 2004; in Integrum-Techno, http://www.integrum.com. {Entered 5/12/2004 DS}

11/28/2003: RUSSIA IS NOT READY TO USE MOX FUEL
On 28 November 2003, head of the Russian Federal Inspectorate for Nuclear and Radiation Safety (Gosatomnadzor) Andrey Malyshev told ITAR-TASS that "in Russia political decisions are moving faster than technology when it comes to MOX fuel (mixed-oxide fuel)."  Russia's legislation pertaining to the use of MOX fuel has yet to be completed as well. According to Malyshev, Gosatomnadzor is working on 39 legal statutes and regulations concerning the production, storage, and use of MOX fuel in seven Russian VVER-1000 reactors. These documents will be developed by the end of 2004, while construction of the MOX plant in Seversk is yet to start. Malyshev added that Russia has no funds for the MOX plant, and that it will not start construction without aid from the United States. Under the US-Russia Plutonium Disposition Agreement, the United States and Russia each agreed to reprocess 34 metric tons of weapons-grade plutonium into MOX fuel during 2007-2024.
[German Solomatin, "V Rossii politicheskiye resheniya po proizvodstvu MOKS-topliva operezhayut tekhnicheskiye vozmozhnosti, schitayut v Gosatomnadzore RF," ITAR-TASS, 28 November 2003; in Integrum-Techno, http://www.integrum.com.] {Entered 2/18/2004 DS}

7/21/2003: 10 KILOS OF MOX FUEL BURNED IN BELOYARSK REACTOR
The Rosenergoatom press center reported on 21 July 2003 that the first 10 kilograms of MOX fuel manufactured from weapons-grade plutonium had been burned for commercial use in the BN-600 fast reactor at the Beloyarsk nuclear power plant. This event followed the successful testing of MOX fuel made with plutonium from dismantled nuclear warheads in the Beloyarsk reactor in 2002 (see the 6/2002 entry, below).
[NucNet, http://www.worldnuclear.org/; in "Russian Fast Reactor Uses First Batch of MOX," Press Release, 21 July 2003; in Rosenergoatom Web Site, http://www.rosatom.ru/.] {Entered 8/14/2003 DS}

5/19/2003:  RUSSIA PLANS TO USE MOX FUEL IN CIVILIAN REACTORS BY 2010
According to Rosenergoatom, in 2008-2010 Russia is expected to begin using MOX fuel from dismantled nuclear warheads in five to eight of its 30 commercial nuclear reactors.
["Mox Fuel to be Used by 2010," Associated Press, 19 May 2003.] {Entered 6/04/2003 CB}

2/17/2003:  GROUNDBREAKING FOR US AND RUSSIAN MOX FACILITIES PLANNED FOR FY 2004
According to an unnamed senior National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) official, groundbreaking for the US and Russian MOX fuel fabrication facilities is slated for the end of the second quarter in fiscal year (FY) 2004.  This would be a significant accomplishment, since the coordination of US and Russian plutonium disposition efforts has been a major impediment to progress. The FY 2004 budget request suggests that DOE officials expect remaining issues regarding the use of the US MOX facility design in Russia to be resolved in the near future, though no formal agreement on the use of this design has been negotiated.
[Daniel Horner and Michael Knapik, "U.S., Russian MOX Plants Set to Move in Tandem to Groundbreaking in 2004," NuclearFuel, Vol. 28, No. 4, 17 February 2003, pp. 1,9.] {Entered 3/19/2003 CB}

10/1/2002:  COOPERATION BETWEEN JAPAN AND RUSSIA CONTINUES ON BN-600 VIPAC OPTION
Based on earlier successful irradiation tests (see 6/2002 entry below), the Japan Nuclear Fuel Cycle Development Institute (JNC) is continuing its joint research with Russia in areas involving the development of Vibro-Packed (Vipac) fuel technology for manufacturing MOX fuel and burning it in Russia's BN-600, fast breeder reactor. The JNC believes that this option's technical feasibility and the fact that it would dispose of plutonium faster than burning it in VVER-1000 reactors will make it a viable alternative for Russian plutonium disposition.
[Science & Technology Journal, October 2002, pp. 20-21; in "JNC Offers Russia Technology to Dispose Dismantled Nuclear Arms Plutonium," FBIS Document JPP20021112000008.] {Entered 11/26/2002 CB}

7/22/2002: ATOMIC ENERGY DEPUTY MINISTER SAYS GKhK MAY PRODUCE MOX FUEL
On 22 July 2002, the Press-Line news agency reported the announcement by First Deputy Minister of Atomic Energy Mikhail Solonin that in the future the Zheleznogorsk Mining and Chemical Combine could be involved in the production of MOX fuel. According to Solonin, MOX fuel-related activities might start after a radiochemical fuel reprocessing line at the RT-2 spent fuel reprocessing plant is completed. However, plans call for most of the MOX fuel to be manufactured at PO Mayak.
["Na Zheleznogorskom GKhK budet proizvoditsya MOKS-toplivo," Press-Line agency, http://www.press-line.kts.ru, 22 July 2002.] {Entered 8/19/2002 DA}

6/2002: MOX FUEL TEST IN BELOYARSK REACTOR PROVES SUCCESSFUL
The Japan Nuclear Fuel Cycle Development Institute reported that it had successfully completed a 22-month experiment on burning MOX fuel made of 60kg of Russian weapons plutonium in the core of the Beloyarsk BN-600 fast reactor. Compacted granular fuel was used instead of conventional pellets.
[Atoms in Japan, June 2002; in "Japan reports progress in burning Russian weapons plutonium," Uranium Information Centre bi-monthly newsletter online edition, No. 4, http://www.uic.com.au/news.htm, July-August 2002.] {Entered 8/19/2002 DA}

6/1/2002: GERMANY PULLS OUT OF TRILATERAL PU DISPOSITION PROGRAM
The German government has decided not to renew the 1997 trilateral cooperation agreement between Germany, Russia and France on Russian plutonium disposition, which expired on 1 June 2002. As a result of the trilateral cooperation, the basic design of Demox, a MOX fuel fabrication facility, was completed. The German government's decision means that the Siemens MOX fuel fabrication plant at Hanau will no longer be available for the Demox project. Helmut Rupar, the Siemens official in charge of decommissioning the fabrication plant, told NuclearFuel that individual parts of the plant would be sold to Japan's Nuclear Fuel Industries for use in testing and training programs.[1] According to Post-Soviet Nuclear & Defense Monitor, the French government is exploring opportunities to renew the plutonium disposition effort, possibly by joining the US-Russian Plutonium Disposition Program. US officials responsible for this program do not view the loss of the Hanau equipment as detrimental to the program.[2]
Sources:
[1] Mark Hibbs, "Germany ends trilateral Pu effort; NFI will get some Hanau equipment," NuclearFuel, 11 June 2002.
[2] "Trilateral pact on Russian MOX expires - Germany will not renew," Post-Soviet Nuclear & Defense Monitor, 27 May 2002, p. 20. {Entered 8/20/2002 DA}

9/5/2001: SRIAR AND JNC SIGN AN AGREEMENT ON MOX RESEARCH
On 5 September 2001 VolgaInform reported that the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Atomic Reactors (SRIAR) and the Japan Nuclear Cycle Development Institute (JNC) had signed an agreement to conduct joint research on vibrocompacted MOX fuel. According to the agreement, SRIAR will build an experimental line for the production of granulated fuel and fuel rods. For additional information on SRIAR-JNC cooperation in the area of MOX research, see the 5/18/99 entry in the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Atomic Reactors (SRIAR) file.
["Ulyanovsk. Novyye razrabotki v sfere mirnogo ispolzovaniya oruzheynogo plutoniya nachalis v dimitrovgradskom GNTs RF NII atomnykh reaktorov," VolgaInform, http://www.volgainform.ru/, 9 September 2001.] {Entered 10/2/2001 DK} {Modified 7/23/2002 DA}
 
8/2001: SIEMENS NO LONGER FEELS OBLIGED TO MAINTAIN ITS MOX PLANT FOR EXPORT TO RUSSIA
In early August 2001, Helmut Rupar, the Siemens representative in charge of decommissioning the MOX fuel fabrication facilities at Hanau, Germany, said that after the failure of the July 2001 G-8 summit in Genoa to secure international funding for the plutonium disposition program, the company is prompted to consider scrapping or selling the facility. Lack of political support from the G-8, and particularly the United States, for the plutonium disposition program in Russia makes the prospects for using the Hanau MOX plant for this program bleak and forces the company to consider other options for utilizing the unused MOX facility. (For more information on the Hanau plant and its proposed use for the plutonium disposition program in Russia, see the 7/2000 entry below.)  Siemens corporate managers argue that it costs DM2 million ($900,000) annually to maintain the plant and the company can no longer afford to do so without a guarantee that the Hanau MOX facilities will be exported to Russia, as was planned earlier.[1] According to Rupar, the company first anticipated that a decision on the proposed transfer of the Hanau plant's equipment would be made by the G-8 Okinawa summit in 2000. When the Okinawa meeting didn't reach a decision, the company agreed to extend the offer until the Genoa summit. With no decision after the Genoa meeting, Siemens management is now looking to sell off individual parts of the plant and to begin scrapping the unnecessary components as soon as possible. According to Rupar, the dismantling of the facility will take about six months and the company plans to make the facility buildings available to other tenants by October 2002.[1,2] 
Sources:
[1] Mark Hibbs, "Berlin, Industry Now Anticipate Hanau MOX Plant Will Be Scuttled," NuclearFuel, Vol. 26, No. 17, 20 August 2001.
[2] Mark Hibbs, "Siemens Wants Hanau Site Evacuated by Next October," NuclearFuel, Vol. 26, No. 18, 3 September 2001. {Entered 10/26/01 ES}
 
1/2001: MINATOM CONSIDERING CREATION OF SEPARATE DIVISION TO OVERSEE MOX FUEL
Segodnya reported on 12 January 2001 that the Russian Ministry of Atomic Energy (Minatom) was considering creating a special division to coordinate issues concerning research, development, and production of MOX fuel.  The article stated that the new department may fall under control of TVEL, Russia's civilian nuclear fuel management agency, Minatom itself, or it could be a legally independent entity.
[Yekaterina Kats, "International Dis-Agreements," Segodnya, 12 January 2001; in "RF Atomic Energy Ministry's Plans To Set Up Special MOX Department Viewed," FBIS Document CEP20010112000178.]  {Entered 3/28/01 GD}
 
11/13/2000: BRITISH NUCLEAR FUELS CONSIDERS PARTICIPATION IN RUSSIAN MOX LEASING PLAN
According to a 13 November 2000 article in NuclearFuel, British Nuclear Fuels, Ltd. (BNFL) has been discussing possible participation in a plan proposed by the Russian Ministry of Atomic Energy (Minatom) to lease MOX fuel to western power reactors.  The MOX fuel would be fabricated using the plutonium from Russian nuclear weapons intended for disposal under the US-Russia Plutonium Disposition Agreement.  Under the proposed lease agreement, Minatom would take back the spent MOX fuel and store it permanently in Russia. For more information on the Russian MOX lease proposal, see the 10/16/2000 entry below.
["Non-proliferation Trust Looking to Taiwan, South Korea to Store Spent Fuel in Russia," NuclearFuel, Vol. 25, No. 23, 13 November 2000, Lexis-Nexis Academic, http://web.lexis-nexis.com/.] {Entered 11/17/2000 GD}
 
10/31/2000: GERMAN GOVERNMENT APPROVES EXPORT OF MOX PLANT TO RUSSIA
A 31 October 2000 article in Power Economics stated that the German government approved plans to export the Siemens Hanau MOX fuel production plant to Russia. The export of the Hanau plant will allow Russia to convert weapons-grade plutonium into MOX fuel in fulfillment of the US-Russia Plutonium Disposition Agreement.  For more information on the export of the Hanau facility, see the 7/2000 entry below.
[Power Economics, 31 October 2000; in "Siemens Plans to Export Plant," Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe, http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe.] {Entered 11/17/2000 GD}
 
10/16/2000: MINATOM CONSIDERS LEASING MOX FUEL TO WESTERN POWER PLANTS
A 16 October 2000 article in NuclearFuel highlighted the intention of Russia's Ministry of Atomic Energy (Minatom) to lease MOX fuel to customers in Europe. Leasing MOX fuel would provide Russia with funds needed for the implementation of the September 2000 US-Russia Plutonium Disposition Agreement.  Minatom has chosen leasing the fuel over its outright sale in order to circumvent Russian environmental legislation, which bans the import of spent nuclear fuel from foreign countries.  Under the proposal, Russia would take back spent MOX fuel for storage and eventual disposal, which would bring in additional revenue to implement the Agreement.  Additionally, Minatom officials have insisted that leasing MOX fuel to other countries is necessary in order to finance a planned MOX fuel fabrication plant that would recycle surplus weapons-grade plutonium slated for disposition.  Germany is currently studying a proposal to use MOX fuel in some of its civilian reactors.  Both the United States and Russia are lobbying Germany to approve the proposal.  For more information on Minatom's MOX fuel plan, please see the 9/25/2000 entry below.
["Scheme to Burn Russian Weapons Pu as MOX in West Hinges on German OK," NuclearFuel, Vol. 25, No. 21, 16 October 2000, Lexis-Nexis Academic, http://web.lexis-nexis.com/.] {Entered 11/16/2000 GD}
 
9/25/2000: RUSSIAN MOX FUEL ARRIVES IN CANADA FOR TESTING AND ANALYSIS
A shipment of Russian MOX fuel arrived safely at the Chalk River Laboratories of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) on 25 September 2000 for testing and analysis. The MOX fuel contains 528g of plutonium derived from Russian nuclear weapons and 15kg of other fuel material. The tests are part of the Parallex Project which for the next three years will assess how MOX fuel performs in CANDU reactors in conjunction with the September 2000 US-Russian Plutonium Disposition Agreement. The Parallex Project will test both US and Russian MOX fuel.[1] Canada agreed to test the performance of MOX fuel in Canadian reactors.[2] The MOX fuel was flown to the research facility at Chalk River.  The shipment was originally to have arrived by sea and land; however, the air route was chosen after considering public safety concerns.[3]
Sources:
[1] "Russian MOX Fuel Arrives at AECL Facility Without Incident in 'Problem-Free' Shipment," RANSAC Nuclear News, 6 October 2000, RANSAC website, www.ransac.org. 
[2] Canada NewsWire, 25 September 2000; in " Russian MOX fuel shipment safely arrives at Chalk River Laboratories," Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe, http://www.lexis-nexis.com/universe.
[3] Mike Trickey, "Plutonium to be flown to Canada," Ottawa Citizen online edition, http://www.ottawacitizen.com, 29 July 2000. {Entered 11/16/2000 GD}
 
8/29/2000: GERMAN MOX PRODUCTION FACILITY WILL MOST LIKELY BE LOCATED AT GKHK IN KRASNOYARSK-26
On 29 August 2000 Izvestiya reported that the most probable location for the Siemens MOX plant from Hanau, Germany is likely to be the Mining and Chemical Combine in Zheleznogorsk. (For more information about the possible export of the German MOX plant, see the 7/2000 entry below.)
[Roman Khrapachevskiy, "Milliard 'zelenykh' marok," Izvestiya online edition, http://www.izvestia.ru, 29 August 2000] {Entered 3/16/2001 OC}
 
8/9/2000: RUSSIAN GOVERNMENT APPROVES COOPERATION WITH JAPAN ON MOX FUEL RESEARCH
On 9 August 2000 Vedomosti reported that the Russian government has approved collaboration between Russian and Japanese scientists in the field of producing MOX fuel from weapons-origin plutonium. According to the article, cooperative projects include research and development in the areas of MOX fuel production for BOR-60 and BN-600 fast neutron reactors and thermal neutron reactors; electric pyrochemical reprocessing of MOX fuel; and closed nuclear fuel cycle for BOR-60 and BN-600 reactors. 
[Natalya Neymysheva, "Plutoniy zamedlennogo deystviya,"  Vedomosti online edition, http://www.vedomosti.ru, 9 August 2000.] {Entered 5/2/2001 OC}

7/2000: PLAN TO EXPORT GERMAN MOX PRODUCTION FACILITY TO MAYAK IN QUESTION
As of July 2000, the German government continues to face a serious dilemma regarding the proposed export of the unused Siemens MOX production plant in Hanau to Russia.  The new policy to phase out nuclear energy may require the revision of the German Federal Nuclear Law, which would eliminate the promotion of nuclear energy from Germany's international commitments and end German funding of programs which advance the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Although the German government is a strong advocate of the elimination of Russian weapons-grade plutonium, facilitating the development of MOX technology in Russia would conflict with Germany's new nuclear energy policy. According to German sources, recent issues between the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of the Environment and Nuclear Safety  will delay any proposal to export the Hanau MOX production facility to Russia until after the facility has been dismantled.  Although all other G-8 countries support the plan to convert Russian weapons-grade plutonium into MOX fuel, the German government cannot make a decision in favor of MOX fuel fabrication without having first considered other alternatives such as plutonium immobilization. The G-8 will discuss the Russian plutonium disposition issue at the summit in Okinawa 21-23 July 2000, although no formal decision will be made at that time.[1] So far, the German government has not yet received any official application for an export license for the Hanau MOX facility from Siemens or the Russian government. German experts continue to discuss the export dilemma as well as the more costly option of funding the vitrification of Russian weapons-grade plutonium.[2]
Sources:
[1] Mark Hibbs and Ann MacLachlan, "Berlin Not Prepared To Support MOX Plan In Russia; G-8 Won't Decide," NuclearFuel, Vol. 25, No. 13, 26 June 2000.
[2] Hans Riebsamen, "Der Export der Hanauer Mox-Fabrik koennte die Loesung sein," Frankfurter Allgemeine, 2 July 2000, p. 2; in Lexis-Nexis Academic Universe, http://web.lexis-nexis.com. {Entered 07/11/00 NEB}
 
6/29/2000: COGEMA ANNOUNCES NEW PROGRAM FOR CONSTRUCTION OF MOX FABRICATION PLANT AT MAYAK
During a conference held in the week of 19 June 2000 and organized by the Nuclear Society of Russia, Laurent Corbier, US-Russia business director for Cogema's nuclear fuel and recycling branch said that the July 2000 G8 summit participants in Japan will consider investment plans for a MOX fuel fabrication plant in Russia.  A trilateral Russian-French-German working group has confirmed preliminary investment costs of $800 million for the facility.  The new program unveiled by the working group contains plans to complete construction of the fabrication facility around 2007 or 2008 and load of MOX fuel in reactors at a rate of 2MT of plutonium per year starting in 2009.  The four-stage program begins with construction of a Chemox conversion module at the Mayak Production Association to convert metallic plutonium alloy into dioxide powder.  The second stage includes construction of a Demox fuel fabrication module that will fabricate MOX fuel for VVER-1000 power reactors and the BN-600 fast neutron reactor located at the Beloyarsk nuclear power plant.  Both modules will use equipment from the now-defunct Hanau MOX fuel plant in Germany, provided that the German government grants the appropriate export licenses.  Cogema, Siemens, and the Bochvar All-Russian Scientific Research Institute for Inorganic Materials will evaluate the necessary modifications to Russian feed material and fuel specifications.  The third stage of the program involves modifying at least four Russian VVER-1000 power reactors for MOX fuel use, which would allow a 30% MOX core load without any effect on safety levels.  This modification will require a full-scale test irradiation of three test assemblies in the Balakovo nuclear power plant beginning in 2004.  The fourth stage stipulates the use of a 25% MOX core load in the BN-600 fast breeder reactor with no significant modifications to the reactor.
["Plutonium Agreement Boosts Russian MOX Fuel Plant Scheme," RANSAC Nuclear News, 26 June 2000, pp. 3-4.] {Entered 06/29/00 YF}
 
4/2000: ROSENERGOATOM DIRECTED TO MAKE PLANS TO BURN MOX FUEL
A 3 May 2000 article in the Post-Soviet Nuclear & Defense Monitor reported that Valentin Ivanov, First Deputy Minister of the Russian Ministry of Atomic Energy, sent a memo to Rosenergoatom Vice-President Yevgeniy Ignatenko in April 2000 directing the latter to begin planning to burn mixed oxide (MOX) fuel in Russian commercial reactors. 
["Minatom Directs Utility Org. to Begin Developing MOX Program," Post-Soviet Nuclear & Defense Monitor, Vol. 4, No. 10, 3 May 2000, p. 18] {Entered 11/9/2000 GD}
 
11/4/97:  BELGONUCLEAIRE TO WORK WITH MINATOM ON MOX FUEL
On 4 November 1997, Belgonucleaire (BN) of Belgium announced that it would work with Minatom on two MOX fuel fabrication projects in Russia. The two projects are a study of methods of licensing MOX fuel for reactors and a study to determine the extent of BN's participation in constructing a MOX plant in Russia. BN has long wished to be a part of the trilateral Franco-German-Russian Demox project, and Minatom may give the Belgian firm an opportunity. First announced in October 1996, the $300 million Demox plant is scheduled for construction after 2000. Jean-Louis Ricaud, executive vice-president of Cogema, stated that Cogema, Siemens, and Minatom will welcome any other firm wishing to participate in Demox and its financing. Ricaud stated that along with the Belgians, the Japanese and the British have expressed interest. However, the Cogema-Siemens group has not yet made any decisions on Belgian's participation in the project.
[Ann MacLachlan, "BN, Minatom Agree To Joint Projects Aimed At MOX Fuel Fabrication In Russia," NuclearFuel, 17 November 1997, pp. 9-10.] {Entered 11/10/98 LBN}
 
12/4/96: BELGIAN FACILITY OFFERS TO HELP RUSSIA BUILD MOX FUEL FABRICATION PLANT
Belgonucleaire has proposed to help Russia build a medium-sized MOX fuel fabrication plant modeled on plans for the P1 plant never built in Belgium. Belgonucleaire made its proposal at a 4 December 1996 seminar in Moscow in the presence of thirty top officials of the Russian nuclear energy establishment. The P1 model will have an annual production capacity of 60 metric tons of heavy metal. Belgonucleaire said that the facility could produce 30MT of MOX fuel per year for VVER reactors and 5MT per year for fast reactors. Belgonucleaire would produce MOX assemblies at its MOX plant in Dessel, Belgium for demonstration tests in Russian reactors while the Russian P1 plant is under construction.
["Belgonucleaire Offers Russia Help To Build MOX Fabrication Plant," NuclearFuel, 16 December 1996, p. 10.]{Entered 7/29/97 LK}
 
11/95: MOX RESEARCH AND USE IN RUSSIA
As of 11/95, more than 2,000 fuel rods with MOX fuel have been produced and tested in BN-350 and BN-600 reactors. Russia is currently conducting research on the use of MOX fuel assemblies for the VVER-1000, as well as working on establishing a location for fabrication of these rods and their irradiation in the SUPR critical assembly owned by the IPPE.
[Valeriy Bogdan, Victor Murogov, Vladimir Kagramanyan, Mikhail Troyanov, "Use Of Plutonium In Russia," Yadernyy kontrol, 11/95, pp. 13-17.]
 
10/9/95: RUSSIANS AND FRENCH ASSESS PROJECT ON MOX PRODUCTION FACILITY CONSTRUCTION
Russian and French scientists are examining the feasibility of building a facility to produce MOX using Russian plutonium from dismantled nuclear weapons. The facility, called TOMOX (Transformation Objets-MOX) would have the capacity to convert 1,300 kg of Pu into 1.5 metric tons of MOX fuel per year. The fuel would be used in the BN-600 FBR at Beloyarsk and in the four VVER-1000 reactors at Balakovo. In 11/92, Russia and France signed an agreement on weapons destruction and peaceful use of weapon materials, and have been examining ways of using weapons-grade plutonium from dismantled nuclear weapons.
[Ann MacLachlan, "French And Russians Study MOX Plant For Fast Reactors, VVERS," NuclearFuel, 10/9/95, pp. 6-8.]
 
2/95: MOX PRODUCTION FACILITY TO BE BUILT AT CHELYABINSK
Germany's Reactor Safety Company (GRS) and Minatom signed an agreement to build a MOX production facility at Chelyabinsk in order to convert Russia's weapons-grade plutonium into MOX fuel for use as fuel in Russian and Western reactors.
[Wolfgang Pollack, Welt am Sonntag, "Russians Want To Make Civilian Use Of Weapons-Grade Plutonium With the Help of German Technology," 2/5/95, p. 7.]

This file is no longer being updated.  For major recent developments, see the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Developments file.

Comments or questions? Contact Anya Loukianova at MIIS CNS.

This material is produced independently for NTI by the Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of and has not been independently verified by NTI or its directors, officers, employees, agents. Copyright © 2002 by MIIS.

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