The delegation of the ambassadors of the European Union and its member states visited the International Uranium Enrichment Center located at the site of the Angarsk Electrochemical Combine (an enterprise of the Rosatom fuel division), got acquainted with the production of enriched uranium at the combine, and also found out about the contribution of ROSATOM to sustainable development through nuclear and other advanced technologies.
The delegation visited the combine within the framework of a trip to the Irkutsk region, during which the diplomats familiarized themselves with potential of the region in the development of green technologies benefitting the economy and ecology of the Baikal region.
The warehouse of the International Uranium Enrichment Center, established at the site of the Angarsk Electrochemical Combine in 2007, became the world’s first Fuel Bank being a reserve of low enriched uranium for guaranteed supply to other countries at request by the IAEA.
“The Fuel Bank is one of the main elements of the global nuclear non-proliferation support system. Today, the ambassadors of the European Union got acquainted with the activities of the International Uranium Enrichment Center. They were eager to learn about the work of the only site in Russia, which is under full-scale IAEA guarantees,” Gleb Efremov, the center’s Director General said.
During the visit to the production site, Vadim Titov, President of Rusatom International Network, told diplomats about the global nature of the ROSATOM activities and its priorities in the field of sustainable development. He recalled that ROSATOM was the only "full cycle" nuclear company in the world, engaged in all segments of nuclear power, thanks to which it was chosen to implement projects for the construction of 35 nuclear power units around the world.
Vadim Titov noted that ROSATOM was developing more than a hundred new businesses in order to become a global technology leader by 2030. ROSATOM prioritizes maximizing contribution to achieving sustainable development goals, focusing on environmental protection and responsible production and consumption. The sustainable development policy adopted by the company is a strategic priority for the period up to 2030.
Elena Ustinova, Head of the Project Office in the Department for the Implementation of Ecological Projects at ROSATOM, told the representatives of the delegation about the participation of ROSATOM in the Russian statewide Ecology project. The diplomats learned about the process of creating infrastructure for handling class I-II waste, building a network of eco-technology parks, as well as the role of ROSATOM in eliminating accumulated environmental damage in Chelyabinsk, Leningrad and Irkutsk regions.
The delegation also visited the main separation plant of Angarsk Electrochemical Combine, which has now completely switched to work in the “mine” mode. There is no longer any supply of natural uranium in the technological chain, and the company's products are made by enriching the accumulated stocks of depleted uranium. Thus, the environmental task of freeing the industrial site from nuclear materials is solved: "secondary" depleted uranium is sent for reprocessing to another enterprise of ROSATOM fuel division - Electrochemical Plant in Zelenogorsk, Krasnoyarsk Territory.


Source: Press Service of Rusatom International Network