Mr. Vladimir Shkolnik took part in the IV Annual International Conference “Nuclear Dilemmas: Present and Future”
31.08.2011The Hague
The IV Annual International Conference “Nuclear Dilemmas: Present and Future” was held in Hague (Kingdom of the Netherlands) on August 30, 2011.
The IV Annual International Conference “Nuclear Dilemmas: Present and Future” was held in Hague (Kingdom of the Netherlands) on August 30, 2011.
In the conference, organized under initiative of the Ministries of foreign affairs of Kazakhstan and the Netherlands, leading world experts of nuclear industry discussed the issues of nuclear energy development.
Chairman of the Board of NAC Kazatomprom JSC Mr. Vladimir Shkolnik delivered the speech titled “Initiative for development of natural uranium accounting and control system”.
Kazakhstan became a leader in uranium production since 2009. Natural uranium itself not attractive material for direct terrorist purposes, however, natural uranium represents the source material for enrichment and production of nuclear weapon. Asof today there is no general world practice for accounting and engineering-technical and physical protection measures for natural uranium.
Realizing the importance of achievement of nuclear materials non-proliferation objectives NAC Kazatomprom has established the intercompany system of accounting, control and physical protection of natural uranium.
The single system of nuclear materials accounting and control is designed to prevent unauthorized access to nuclear materials located in the territory of Kazakhstan: ULBA JSC and MAEC-Kazatomprom LLP. The system provides sufficient protection and it is continuously being improved.
The computerized system of nuclear material accounting and control meeting the requirements of State Nuclear Materials Accounting and Control System and IAEA is established and operates at Ulba plant. Annually nuclear materials are subjected to physical inventory and verification in the presence of IAEA inspectors.
Exclusive security measures have been taken also in MAEK-Kazatomprom LLP. Exploitation of the BN-350 Reactor, which was active in Mangystau Oblast since 1973, was put out of service under the Decree of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan in April, 1999. Currently, in accordance with the “Plan of priority actions to be taken for decommissioning of BN-350 in Aktau city” the Reactor facility BN-350 is being brought into condition of safe permanent storage. In November 2011 all shipping packaging sets with Spent Nuclear Fuel were transferred to National Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan (NNC) for long-term storage, all these procedures were completed in the presence of IAEA inspectors.
Realizing the responsibility for nuclear materials non-proliferation and the need to make it transparent for state and international organizations, NAC Kazatomprom JSC is participating from 2008 in joint project with IAEA on improvement of existing natural uranium accounting and control system in uranium-mining and processing facilities.
All uranium mining and processing subsidiaries of NAC Kazatomprom JSC are equipped with physical protection system in accordance with modern requirements providing control over natural uranium circulation process – from extraction to marketing.
At present, NAC Kazatomprom JSC is considering possible forms of transportation control of the final product of producing and processing facilities. Kazatomprom together with Space hardware and technology institute “National Center for Space Research and Technologies” JSC started the works on remote monitoring of the movements of uranium transporting units.
Kazatomprom is the national operator of the Republic of Kazakhstan for export of uranium and its compounds, rare metals, nuclear fuel for nuclear power plants, special purpose equipment, technologies and double-use materials. The main activities of the company are: geological exploration, uranium production, manufacture of nuclear fuel cycle products, reactor construction, nuclear power plants, production of construction materials, the electric energy sector, scientific support of production and social welfare and training of personnel. Today Kazatomprom has more than 23,000 employees and is amongst the leading uranium production companies in the world.
