Both the United States Department of Energy and the International Atomic Energy Agency have expressed acknowledgement of the effectiveness of the measures Hungary has taken for the removal of used nuclear fuels. Having completely removed all heater elements containing highly enriched uranium from its territory, Hungary has made a significant step towards meeting the international objectives that urge securing easily accessible radioactive materials.

Hungary has earned international acknowledgement by a new achievement in preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons and curbing nuclear terrorism. The repatriation of heater elements containing highly enriched uranium (HEU), used in the Research Reactor at Csillebérc operated by the Energy Science Research Centre of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 2005-2012, could be implemented as a result of a multi-year joint effort of Hungary, the United States, the Russian Federation and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The financial conditions provided by the United States Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) as well as the availability of the international cooperation framework established by IAEA all facilitated the speediest possible implementation of the repatriation programme of the used heater elements.

The most efficient way to prevent unlicensed and unlawful activity related to radioactive materials is the implementation of preventive measures. The acknowledgement draws attention to the Hungarian efforts made for nuclear safety as well as the country’s efficient partnership work in international cooperation.

The nuclear heating materials had been supplied to Hungary from Russia to be used in research applications. The complete repatriation of the used heater elements containing a total amount of 239.1 kg of HEU was performed in several steps (first in 2008 and 2009 and later in 2012 and 2013). The used heater elements are to be used to produce low enriched uranium (LEU) for the operation of nuclear power reactors in Russia. Meeting the criterion of global nuclear security, the nuclear research reactors may only operate using LEU in the near future. Within the framework of the Russian Research Reactor Programme launched by the United States of America, the Russian Federation and the International Atomic Energy Agency in 2002, heater elements containing HEU of over 2000 kg have been returned to Russia by 56 operations so far.

The news release of the U.S. Department of Energy:
http://energy.gov/articles/united-states-international-partners-remove-last-remaining-weapons-usable-highly-enriched
The news release of the International Atomic Energy Agency:
http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/2013/hungaryheu.html

(Ministry of National Development, Communications Department)