Kazakhstan and IAEA Sign LEU Fuel Bank Agreement

The government of Kazakhstan and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) today in the Kazakh capital Astana signed a formal agreement establishing a facility in the country’s northeast that will provide a reliable supply of low-enriched reactor fuel to IAEA member states. The fuel bank, set to open in two years at the Ulba Metallurgical Plant, is intended to support civilian nuclear power programs while deterring countries from pursuing enrichment technology that could lead to nuclear weapons breakout capabilities. The facility, authorized by the IAEA in 2010, will be backed by a $50 million commitment from the nongovernmental Nuclear Threat Initiative and the financial support of the United States, European Union, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Norway. National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said in a statement, “The Government of Kazakhstan, by volunteering to host the LEU Bank, which was first conceived and funded by the Nuclear Threat Initiative, has further cemented its reputation as a world leader in promoting nonproliferation and nuclear security.”