IAEA anticipates low enriched uranium bank to be opened in Kazakhstan by September

Almaty. March 7. Silkroadnews – The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) anticipates low enriched uranium bank to be opened in Kazakhstan by September, the UN Radio news quotes the IAEA Director General Yukiya Amano saying while presenting the report to the agency’s board of directors.

“Bank construction proceeds according to the plan, as soon as it opens Kazakhstan will be able to accept the first part of low-enriched uranium fuel”, the publication said quoting Y. Amano.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Roman Vasilenko, after the bank’s official opening ceremony the IAEA will start purchasing low-enriched uranium fuel to deliver to the bank.

As previously reported with reference to the sales director of JSC “Ulba Metallurgical Plant” Alexander Khodanov, the construction of the IAEA storage facility is scheduled to be completed by summer of 2017.

In terms of physical security, the warehouse will be located on the territory of the UMP secured by the National Guard troops.

To remind, in August 2015 the ceremony of signing an agreement between the government of Kazakhstan and the IAEA on the IAEA low enriched uranium bank establishment in the territory of the republic took place in Astana.

The IAEA Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) Bank is a physical reserve of up to 60 full-size cylinders of 30B type or later modifications.

The $150 million financing of the project transferred to the IAEA consists of voluntary contributions from the following states and organizations: $50 million by The Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) fund, $49.54 million – by the US, up to €25 million by the EU, the UAE – $10 million, Kuwait – $10 million, Norway – $5 million.