HEU removed from Hungary

摘要

An international effort has resulted in the successful removal of the all the remaining highly enriched uranium (HEU) from Hungary. Hungary originally procured the HEU from Russia for use in scientific applications in the Budapest Research Reactor, which was converted to use low enriched uranium (LEU) fuel in 2009. The final 49.2 kilograms of HEU was removed from Hungary via three secure air shipments over a six-week period, the US Department of Energy said 4 November. The material will be transported to Russia where it will be downblended into LEU for use in nuclear power reactors. The multi-year effort was coordinated between Hungary, the United States, the Russian Federation, and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The four participants also returned 190 kilograms of HEU from Hungary to Russia via three shipments in 2008, 2009, and 2012.