Combating Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction

This expansion will cover the security upgrades for all the Russian Navy freshfuel by the year 2000.Expanded Cooperative at the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of TechnicalPhysics (VNITF)This provides more cooperative work at the site, which was formerly known asChelyabinsk-70.Export ControlsCooperation with GosAtomNadzor (GAN)DOE continues its cooperation with GAN, the Russian Nuclear RegulatoryAgency, to develop MPC&A program procedures in accordance with Russianfederal and GAN-level rules and regulations, and licensing and inspectionpractices.DOE-MinAtom MPC&A AgreementDOE has been negotiating with MinAtom to upgrade and replace the DoD-MinAtom MPC&A Agreement that expired in September 1998.Fissile Material Disposition ProgramFabrication of MOX Fuel for Thermal ReactorsThis program assists and encourages Russia to develop a MOX fuel fabricationprocess that is compatible with surplus weapons-grade plutonium, test theresulting fuel, and qualify it for use in a VVER-1000 water reactor.Validating the Performance of MOX-Fuel Nuclear ReactorsConsiderable work is required to make sure VVER-1000 water reactors can befueled with mixed plutonium oxide and uranium oxide fuel.Converting the Russian Fast Neutron Reactor to a Plutonium BurnerDOE is helping Russia assess the feasibility of converting Russia’s BN-6000reactor, fast-neutron reactor, into a net burner of plutonium.Plutonium Conversion Technology and Plutonium DispositionThis work is to design and build a facility for converting weapons-originplutonium metal into an oxide form suitable for use in MOX fuel and forinternational inspection.Plutonium ImmobilizationThis research and development is to implement immobilization as part of itshybrid plutonium disposition strategy.39