Highly Enriched Uranium Used in Polish Research Reactor Returned to Russia

The US Department of Energy, in cooperation with Russia, Poland and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has returned the highly enriched uranium (HEU) used in a Polish research reactor back to Russia, making Poland free from the HEU, the US secretary of energy said Monday.

VIENNA (Sputnik) — Seventeen Russian TUK-19 specialized transportation casks were loaded with 135 pounds of the HEU spent fuel and sent to Russia, making Poland the world's 31st HEU-free country, Ernest Moniz said.

"The removal and return of HEU is an example of the international community working collectively to improve global security," Moniz said at the IAEA general conference in Vienna.

Poland's Maria Research reactor is now using low enriched uranium using French fuel assemblies.

During the last 10 years, over 700 kilograms (0.8 US tons) of HEU was repatriated from Poland to Russia.