Uranium center IUEC discusses ascension of new members

 MOSCOW, 20 July — RIA Novosti. The International Uranium Enrichment Center (IUEC, ROSATOM has the controlling interest) negotiates with five foreign companies on their possible ascension to the IUEC, the General Director of the Center Alexey Lebedev told RIA Novosti.

Now, the IUEC shareholders are ROSATOM (50% plus 1 share), NAC Kazatomprom (Kazakhstan, 10%), JSC Armenian NPP (Armenia, 10%), and SC Nuclear Fuel (Ukraine, 10%). Another 20% minus 1 share (owned by ROSATOM) is intended for new members of the IUEC.

«We are rather active in negotiations with the five potential new members», Lebedev said. He noted the negotiations were not forced specially.

«We offer the IUEC membership in combination with other projects, for example, building the national research nuclear centers. Some companies wish to ascend IUEC without such additional commitments, which is not very correct», the General Director of the Center added.

The International Uranium Enrichment Center was established in 2007. The IUEC goal is to ensure guaranteed supply of uranium enrichment services predominantly to own stakeholders. This enriched uranium is used for nuclear fuel of NPPs. The Fuel Bank – the reserve of low enriched uranium for guaranteed supply of other countries upon the IAEA request – functions at Angarsk Electrolysis Chemical Complex (a Fuel Company of ROSATOM TVEL’s company).