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Nearly 30 cylinders of uranium delivered to Kazakhstan's Ust-Kamenogorsk

Oil&Gas Materials 11 December 2019 15:01 (UTC +04:00)
Nearly 30 cylinders of uranium delivered to Kazakhstan's Ust-Kamenogorsk

BAKU, Azerbaijan, Dec.11

By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend:

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Dec. 10 received the second and final shipment of low-enriched uranium (LEU) at a purpose-built facility in Kazakhstan housing the IAEA LEU Bank, Trend reports with reference to IAEA.

The delivery completes the planned stock of the material that the IAEA LEU Bank will hold, following the first shipment in October.

According to the information Kazakhstan’s National Atomic Company Kazatomprom (the world’s largest producer of natural uranium) delivered 28 cylinders of LEU to the facility at the Ulba Metallurgical Plant (UMP) in the Kazakh Ust-Kamenogorsk city.

“The uranium originated from Kazakhstan and was enriched at a facility in neighboring Russia before the LEU was transported by train to the site in eastern Kazakhstan, where it was checked and officially accepted by IAEA experts,’ the report said.

Owned by the IAEA and hosted by Kazakhstan, the IAEA LEU Bank is one of the Agency’s most ambitious undertakings since it was founded in 1957. With the arrival of the second shipment, the IAEA LEU Bank stock is now complete.

The establishment and operation of the IAEA LEU Bank are fully funded by voluntary contributions from IAEA Member States and other donors totaling $150 million, covering estimated costs for at least 20 years of operation.

In December 2010, the IAEA Board of Governors authorized the Director General to establish the IAEA LEU Bank to serve as an assurance of supply mechanism of last resort for Member States that experience a supply disruption due to exceptional circumstances and are unable to secure nuclear power fuel from the commercial market.

UMP, as the facility operator, has the prime responsibility for safety and security of the IAEA LEU Bank and shall apply IAEA safety standards and nuclear security guidance documents.

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