OREANDA-NEWS. November 21, 2007. Head of Federal Agency for Nuclear Energy Sergey Kiriyenko and U.S. Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman have signed a joint statement outlining a plan to dispose of 34 metric tons of surplus plutonium from Russia's weapons program, Rosatom reports with reference to the web-site of US Department of Energy.

Under the new plan, the United States will cooperate with Russia to convert Russian weapon-grade plutonium into mixed oxide fuel (MOX) and irradiate the MOX fuel in the BN-600 fast-neutron reactor, currently operating at the Beloyarsk nuclear power plant, and in the BN-800 fast reactor, currently under construction at the same site. The United States and Russia also intend to continue cooperation on the development of an advanced gas-cooled, high-temperature reactor, which may create additional possibilities for disposition of Russia's plutonium.

"This joint statement between the United States and Russia reflects measurable progress towards disposing of a significant amount of weapon-grade plutonium in Russia," Secretary Bodman said. "Along with the U.S. program to dispose of plutonium as mixed oxide fuel in light water reactors, the Russian program will ensure that enough plutonium for thousands of weapons is converted into a form which cannot be used to construct a weapon and will instead be used to provide fuel to produce clean electricity."

The United States and Russia agreed that the BN-600 and BN-800 fast reactors will dispose of Russia's surplus weapons plutonium without creating new stocks of separated weapon-grade plutonium. Under the new plan, Russia would begin disposition in the BN-600 reactor in the 2012 timeframe. Disposition in the BN-800 would follow soon thereafter. Once disposition begins, the two reactors could dispose of approximately 1.5 metric tons of Russian weapons plutonium per year.

Russia intends to implement this program, with the U.S. contributing $400 million, as previously pledged for cooperation under the 2000 Plutonium Management and Disposition Agreement and subject to appropriations by the U.S. Congress. The agreement commits the United States and Russia to dispose each of 34 metric tons of surplus weapon-grade plutonium.

"This joint statement is part of a comprehensive and cooperative approach to countering nuclear proliferation around the world. A balanced, effective nonproliferation program should provide for the disposal of dangerous materials along with securing and detecting them," said William Tobey, NNSA's Deputy Administrator for Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation. "Through this program, the United States and Russia will dispose of at least 68 metric tons of surplus weapons plutonium."

U.S. and Russian officials will meet in the coming months to amend the existing plutonium disposition agreement between the United States and Russia to reflect this joint statement as well as related technical discussions and other modifications necessary for cooperation to proceed.

Established by Congress in 2000, NNSA is a separately organized agency within the U.S. Department of Energy responsible for enhancing national security through the military application of nuclear science. NNSA maintains and enhances the safety, security, reliability and performance of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile without nuclear testing; works to reduce global danger from weapons of mass destruction; provides the U.S. Navy with safe and effective nuclear propulsion; and responds to nuclear and radiological emergencies in the United States and abroad. Visit the NNSA homepage for more information.