Civilian Reactors Lag In Conversion

Programs under way since the 1970s to convert civilian research reactors worldwide from weapons-grade highly enriched uranium (HEU) fuel to low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel could take decades more to complete, says a report from the National Academies. These reactors are used for training and producing medical isotopes. While technical and nontechnical challenges persist to update reactors that are many decades old, the report recommends immediate action to convert civilian research and test reactors still using weapons-grade uranium fuel to an intermediate fuel. Weapons-grade HEU is enriched to 90% or greater uranium-235, and LEU is enriched to less than 20% uranium-235. Converting weapons-grade HEU to a lower enriched intermediate uranium fuel with 45% or less would reduce national and international security risks for these reactors, the report says. Because more than 40% of the 74 civilian research reactors worldwide that still operate using HEU are in Russia, the report suggests that the U.S. facilitate workshops and meetings with Russian scientists to promote progress toward conversion. Universities and federal agencies manage the eight U.S. reactors yet to be converted.