Russia confirms it's supplying highly enriched uranium to two Chinese reactors

New Delhi: Russia has confirmed it’s supplying highly enriched uranium to two Chinese reactors, according to a report. TVEL, a subsidiary of the state atomic energy corporation Rosatom, will be allowed to export the fuel to China over the next three years, South China Morning Post reported citing Sputnik News. The fuel will be sent to the CFR-600 power plant at Xiapu in the southeastern province of Fujian. The project has two fast-neutron reactors, both with the capacity to produce 600 megawatts of power, the first of which is expected to connect to the grid later this year, added the report. In January, World Nuclear News reported that three batches of fuel had been transported by rail from TVEL to the plant since September. However, the report, citing Sputnik, revealed that the supplies are highly enriched uranium, with a concentration of just over 30 per cent of uranium-235 – which is found in less than 1 per cent of naturally occurring uranium. Fast reactors require a concentration of over 20 per cent of uranium-235, while nuclear weapons usually contain about 90 per cent uranium-235 and plutonium. The United States has become increasingly concerned about nuclear energy cooperation between China and Russia. ‘Direct threat to US security’ Leading Republicans in Congress urged the Biden administration to “stop Rosatom and the PRC’s dangerous cooperation” in a letter to US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan in March, describing it as “a direct threat to US security”. In the same month, John F Plumb, assistant secretary of defence for space policy, during a posture hearing at the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Force, said that various open-source outlets reported how Rosatom was providing highly enriched uranium for Chinese fast breeder reactors. “It’s very troubling to see Russia and China cooperating on this,” said Plumb had said. “They may have talking points around it, but there’s no getting around the fact that breeder reactors are plutonium, and plutonium is for weapons. So I think the [Defence] Department is concerned. And of course, it matches our concerns about China’s increased expansion of its nuclear forces as well, because you need more plutonium for more weapons,” Plumb added. China and Russia have placed nuclear weapons, space warfare and long-range strike at the center of their strategies to counter the United States and its allies and partners, he said. “China is engaged in a significant and fast-paced expansion and diversification of its nuclear forces. Also, Russia and China view space as a warfighting domain, he said. China also has an ever-growing inventory of sophisticated long-range strike systems putting US forces at risk at greater and greater distances, Plumb said. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s irresponsible nuclear saber rattling has further underscored the importance of the US nuclear deterrent, which is the bedrock of national security, he said. Russia-China deal The fast reactors are part of China’s plan to develop a closed nuclear fuel cycle, which reprocesses the remaining uranium and plutonium isotopes in spent fuel, as a way of reducing the risk of shortages. During Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Russia in March, Rosatom and China’s Atomic Energy Authority signed a comprehensive long-term cooperation deal on fast-neutron reactors and closed nuclear fuel cycle development. In fast reactors, uranium-238 – the most commonly found isotope – can be used to generate plutonium-239, which can in turn be used as nuclear fuel or in nuclear weapons. With inputs from agencies Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.