Abstracts and Available Papers Presented at the
2004 International RERTR Meeting

IAEA ACTIVITIES RELATED TO RESEARCH REACTOR FUEL CONVERSION AND SPENT FUEL RETURN PROGRAMS

IRA N. GOLDMAN, PABLO ADELFANG AND IAIN G. RITCHIE

Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Materials Section
Division of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology
International Atomic Energy Agency
Wagramer Strasse 5, P.O. Box 100
A-1400 Vienna, Austria

ABSTRACT
 

The IAEA has been involved for more than twenty years in supporting international nuclear non-proliferation efforts associated with reducing the amount of highly enriched uranium (HEU) in international commerce. IAEA projects and activities have directly supported the Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactors (RERTR) programme, as well as directly associated efforts to return research reactor fuel to the country where it was originally enriched. IAEA efforts have included the development and maintenance of several data bases with information related to research reactors and research reactor spent fuel inventories that have been essential in planning and managing both RERTR and spent fuel return programmes. Other IAEA regular budget programs have supported research reactor fuel conversion from HEU to low enriched uranium (LEU), and in addressing issues common to many member states with spent fuel management problems and concerns. The paper briefly describes IAEA involvement since the early 1980’s in these areas, including regular budget and Technical Co-operation programme activities, and focuses on efforts in the past five years to continue to support and accelerate U.S. and Russian research reactor spent fuel return programmes.

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