2004 Press Releases
10 Year Heu-Leu Anniversary at Green Cape
August 20, 2004
On August 20, celebrations dedicated to the 10-year anniversary of the HEU-LEU (Highly Enriched Uranium – Lowly Enriched Uranium) program took place at the picturesque resort of the Green Cape near the city of Novouralsk. The HEU-LEU program is an important component of U.S. - Russian cooperation in nuclear nonproliferation.
For ten years U.S. and Russian nuclear specialists have been successfully and safely processing uranium subject to the HEU Purchase Agreement. The lowly enriched uranium yielded by the program is then sold to U.S. utilities for use in American nuclear reactors to generate electricity. This joint nonproliferation program of DOE and Rosatom is also referred to as 'Megatons to Megawatts' or 'Swords to Ploughshares.' The Urals Electrochemical Plant (UEIP) has processed about half of the total amount of highly enriched uranium downblended by the Russian Federation, thus making Novouralsk a key partner in the U.S.-Russian cooperation in nuclear nonproliferation.
In his speech at the ceremony, CG Scott Rauland noted that thanks to such cooperation, we now live in a world where children no longer have nightmares about dying in a nuclear attack. UEIP Director, Anatoliy Knutarev said the program demonstrates the importance of working together. By doing so we will significantly enhance world security by steadily reducing stockpiles of nuclear bomb-grade materials. This is an accomplishment of which all parties should be extremely proud.
In addition to making Russia and the rest of the world much safer, the program has brought over $4.5 billion in revenues to Russia in exchange for the uranium sold to U.S. utilities.
