nuclear-news

Old nuclear weapons fuel to be used in commercial nuclear reactors

the US and Russia will today sign a long-delayed agreement to dispose of 34 tonnes of plutonium from decommissioned weapons, by using it in power stations.

US summit expected to back Barack Obama’s plan to prevent nuclear theft | World news | The Guardian 12 April Leaders from more than 40 countries will tomorrow back Barack Obama’s plans to prevent the theft of nuclear material from vulnerable stockpiles around the world.At a nuclear security summit in Washington they will be expected to pledge concrete action to help protect an estimated 1,600 tonnes of weapons-grade uranium (highly enriched uranium – HEU) and 500 tonnes of plutonium stored in over 1,000 sites in 40 countries under widely varying degrees of security.

Just 25kg (55lb) of HEU or nearly 8kg of plutonium is required to make a bomb. There have been 15 confirmed cases of weapons-grade material being smuggled in the last 17 years.In the name of preventing nuclear terrorism, the US and Russia will today sign a long-delayed agreement to dispose of 34 tonnes of plutonium from decommissioned weapons, by using it in power stations.US summit expected to back Barack Obama’s plan to prevent nuclear theft | World news | The Guardian

April 12, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | 2 WORLD, technology | antinuclear, enriched, nuclear, nuclear costs, nuclear wastes, nuclear weapons, plutonium, reactors, uranium