Yukiya Amano, the IAEA Director General says: the IUEC fuel bank at the AECC guarantees LEU procurements for global nuclear power industry

June 23, 2015

 Angarsk, June 20, 2015 - Yukiya Amano, the IAEA Director General visited joint-stock company «Angarsk electrolysis chemical complex» (JSC AECC) and the Joint-stock company «International uranium enrichment center» (the IUEC).

Yukiya Amano arrived to Russia on the invitation of the President Putin. In addition to the participation in Saint-Petersburg International Economic Forum the program of visit included evaluation trip to Angarsk where the IUEC is located and where the security stock of low-enriched uranium (LEU) is kept under the IAEA safeguard. Yukiya Amano got to know the AECC separation plant and visited the IUEC storage facility for security stock of low-enriched uranium.

Summarizing the outcomes of his visit, the IAEA Director General noted extremely high level of safety and technologies at the IUEC. At the briefing devoted to his impressions of the visit Yukiya Amano said «Angarsk bank of low-enriched uranium is a very good reference project for other regional LEU banks that the IAEA is planning to organize in the future». The IUEC bank «is effectively managed and is going to become a model for similar project in the future», - he said. Mr. Amano thinks that Angarsk fuel bank will «ensure a steady and reliable operation of nuclear power plants».

«The IAEA believes that nuclear power industry will be expanding not only because of climate changes, but also due to economic reasons», – said Mr. Amano. «One of the most important things here is a reliable and sustainable operation of nuclear power industry». In order to meet this challenge, Mr. Amano believes, it is necessary to have security stocks of nuclear fuel that can be used to supply fuel to needy countries, including those that might be deprived of fuel procurements due to political reasons.

When asked about the potential of establishing international centers operating at different fuel cycle stages, including spent fuel management, Mr. Amano marked: «The idea to organize spent fuel treatment in the cooperation of several countries has matured, moreover, the research in this field is already in progress, so I think this issue is to be thoroughly considered in near future».

The IAEA Director General rated Russia’s efforts in the field of non-proliferation very highly. «Russia has seriously advanced in the area of nuclear power and nuclear technologies. Russia has sufficient expertise to assist the world community and the IAEA in non-proliferation matters. No doubt, co-operation in this sphere can be very useful», - Yukiya Amano stated.

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