Uranium fuel from decommissioned Russian warheads has been fueling U.S. nuclear plants. The 20,000 disarmed warheads provided 10 percent of America’s electricity over the past 15 years.
The original deal in which 500 tons of uranium had been used to light and heat American homes will end next month because Russia has concluded that it got a bad deal. The U.S. tried to negotiate to continue the deal, but Russian officials refused stating the price offered was far too low. The 500 tons of uranium traded equals to around 10 billion barrels of oil.
Next month under the soon to be ended agreement the last shipment due will be sent in November. Under a new contract the U.S. will be getting about half of what it is currently getting from Russia. The uranium will no longer be recycled from the old warheads instead it will be commercially produced.
Old Russian warheads photo via nytimes.com
Representatives from the U.S. will head to St Petersburg in November to oversee the loading of the final shipment that will arrive in the U.S. later in December.
The U.S. paid about $8 billion for the uranium already supplied, according to USEC.
USEC spokesman Jeremy Derryberry told AFP, "The Russians told us several years ago that they would not be extending the contract."
The USEC and Russia have signed a new deal whereas the fuel is now sold under a contract, "based on market prices," Derryberry added.
"It was an incredibly simple and effective way to disarm Russia and for Russia to get rid of its uranium at a time when it needed foreign money. But times change, and so does the price," a UN diplomat commented.
The program for dismantling and diluting the decommissioned warheads was known as “Megatons to Megawatts.”
Edited by Alisen Downey