THE nuclear industry has a dirty secret, says Greenpeace, which claims that nuclear plants in western Europe have offloaded 100,000 tonnes of waste uranium to Russia.
Western European nuclear fuel companies and the Russian uranium enrichment company Tenex have confidential contracts under which Tenex accepts depleted uranium and returns it after treatment as low-enriched uranium fuel, containing a few per cent fissile uranium-235. But according to Greenpeace, 90 per cent of the waste remains in Russia, while only 10 per cent is returned as fuel 鈥� a claim that is confirmed by an industry body, the World Nuclear Association.
Greenpeace alleges this is illegal and is taking Tenex to court in Moscow, arguing that the uranium trade breaches a Russian law forbidding the import and storage of foreign waste. Tenex says the uranium is not waste because it will be used in future fast breeder reactors.
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Urenco, a major uranium enrichment company based in the UK, told New 杏吧原创 it had exported 鈥渟everal thousand tonnes of depleted uranium鈥� to Tenex since 1995. In return for the waste Urenco said it 鈥減urchases and takes delivery of equivalent quantities of natural uranium鈥�.
