Enrichment

Under uranium enrichment an increase in concentration of uranium-235 radioactive isotope from 0.7%, contained in natural uranium up to 3.5 - 4.5%, is required to use uranium for nuclear fuel manufacturing with over 90% meant for use in military purposes. Uranium enrichment technologies are the technologies of restricted distribution. 

On October 12, 2006, the Kazakh-Russian Joint Venture for uranium enrichment, the “Center for uranium enrichment” was established with fifty-fifty share between Kazatomprom and Techsnabexport. At present the construction of a uranium enrichment plant in Angarsk (Russia, Irkutsk oblast) is at a stage of feasibility study development and coordination with the first product output planned for 2011. It is intended that a 5000000 SWU design capacity will be achieved by 2013. Uranium will be enriched using an economically sound, energy-saving gas-centrifugal method.

In May, 2007, Russia and Kazakhstan has formed international centre for uranium enrichment (ICUE). The main objective of the center is to provide non-nuclear states with the possibility of enriched uranium production without use of critical technologies in terms of the nuclear nonproliferation regime. The enriched uranium will be used for manufacturing of nuclear fuel for nuclear power plants. The International Center for uranium enrichment is to be instituted in the city of Angarsk (Irkutsk oblast, Russia) on the basis of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise Angarsk Electrolysis Chemical Complex. Its establishment was approved by IAEA experts and at present the International Center for Uranium Enrichment comprises Russia (90% share) and Kazakhstan (10%). By the end of 2008 Armenia is expected to join the Center at which point the Russian party will transfer a 10% share. Further countries such as Belgium, South Korea and Canada have also expressed an interest in the ICUE project.

The institution of these enterprises was stipulated by a Memorandum of understanding signed by Techsnabexport JSC, Atomstroyexport JSC and Kazatomprom JSC in the course of a working meeting with the Prime-minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the CEO of Rosatom on July 25, 2006.  It is the first practical step towards implementation of high-priority tasks for integration of enterprises from the nuclear & industrial systems of Russia and Kazakhstan defined, by the President of the Russian Federation and by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, in a Joint Statement of Cooperation in the field of peaceful atomic energy use dated January 25, 2006.