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jakeXT

(10,575 posts)

15. No more nuclear fuel for the US ?

Thu Dec 12, 2013, 04:50 AM

Dec 2013

Megatons to Megawatts 2.0: Russia eyes new nuclear project with US energy industry

Russia's state nuclear energy monopoly has delivered the last portion of uranium fuel made from Soviet nuclear warheads to the US. Rosatom is now looking forward to mutually profitable cooperation with America’s nuclear energy industry.

The final shipment consisting of four containers of U-235 uranium fuel, downblended from approximately 80 Soviet nuclear warheads, arrived in Baltimore from St. Petersburg on the Atlantic Navigator vessel. Containers were sent to a gaseous diffusion plant in Paducah (Kentucky) belonging to America’s United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC), which produces fuel assemblies for American nuclear power plants.

The last assembly made of HEU-LEU (Highly Enriched Uranium - Low Enriched Uranium) nuclear fuel will be produced in 2017. It is expected that they will last till 2020.

Half of America’s nuclear power generation facilities used HEU-LEU uranium, which means that one in 10 light bulbs in the US are lit with energy generated from uranium derived from Russian nuclear warheads. All in all, Russian nuclear fuel has given America around seven trillion kilowatts of electrical energy.

http://rt.com/news/heu-leu-agreement-over-037/

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Russia Would Answer Conventional Attack With Nukes, Official Says [View all] Purveyor Dec 2013 OP

Damn... darkangel218 Dec 2013 #1

Now that's defense SCVDem Dec 2013 #2

'He described nuclear weapons as a "great equalizer."' oioioi Dec 2013 #3

Well, no kidding. tabasco Dec 2013 #4

Oh my they have wmds...what will we do? sanctions or attack? SummerSnow Dec 2013 #5

The PGS mentions conventional weapons Cali_Democrat Dec 2013 #6

Yep. Just in case a nut nuttier than bu$h or mc$ame ever get the power 2 Amonester Dec 2013 #7

Is Putin living in the 1950's? CatholicEdHead Dec 2013 #8

No he is living in the post PNAC world where one nation has declared Warren Stupidity Dec 2013 #12

Is China also experimenting with non-nuclear strategic weapons? n/t pnwmom Dec 2013 #9

Well Damn... ltheghost Dec 2013 #10

Given the status of the Russian military, they don't have a lot of options Lurks Often Dec 2013 #11

China has no plans on Siberia happyslug Dec 2013 #13

I didn't say I for see a conflict between China & Russia, Lurks Often Dec 2013 #18

That's the memo I keep hearing... Xolodno Dec 2013 #22

asymmetrical warfare is a bitch: we can spend ourselves to death, but other countries would be smart yurbud Dec 2013 #14

No more nuclear fuel for the US ? jakeXT Dec 2013 #15

Thanks Vlad for reminding us that Russia is a tough SOB. Reminds of Nixon's "Madman Theory". pampango Dec 2013 #16

How can we respond to this threat? Maybe we shouldn't attack Russia. Tom Rinaldo Dec 2013 #17

This is aimed at China hack89 Dec 2013 #21

Putin Says Bids to Gain Military Dominance Over Russia Futile dipsydoodle Dec 2013 #19

This is aimed at China hack89 Dec 2013 #20

Why doesn't the USA have any of those "doomsday machines"? Blue_Tires Dec 2013 #23