Elimination of Weapons-Grade Plutonium Production Program (EWGPP)
Elimination of Weapons Grade Plutonium Production (EWGPP) is a U.S. Department of Energy project devoted to the closure of Russia's last three plutonium production reactors. The Pacific Northwest Center for Global Security plays a key facilitative role in organizing international donor participation for projects associated with the closure of these reactors.
During the height of the Cold War, the United States and the USSR operated a combined total of 27 plutonium production reactors. Fourteen were in the U.S., and 13 were in Russia. Following the breakup of the Soviet Union, all 14 reactors in the United States were shut down. Ten of the 13 reactors in Russia have been shut down as well, while three reactors are still operating. They are the ADE-4 and ADE-5 reactors operated by the Siberian Group of the Chemical Enterprises (SGCE in Seversk, and the ADE-2 reactor operated by the Mining and Chemical Combine (MCC) in Zheleznogorsk. These reactors are capable of producing 1.5 tons of weapons grade plutonium annually. This is a major nuclear nonproliferation concern of the international community. The reactors are still operating because they are providing much needed electricity and district heating to nearby communities in Siberia.
The U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and the Federal Agency of the Russian Federation for Atomic Energy (Rosatom) have entered into agreements to supply replacement heat and electricity, thereby enabling the shutdown of the reactors. Under the Elimination of Weapons Grade Plutonium Production (EWGPP) Program, the U.S. is funding the refurbishment of a coal plant to produce electricity and heat at Seversk, and a new coal plant is being constructed at Zheleznogorsk. The Seversk plant will be completed in 2008 and the Zheleznogorsk facility will be completed in 2011.
Both EWGPP construction projects are proceeding as scheduled. Under the Seversk Project, a Phase II contract for the full project scope was signed in December 2004 and construction began in January 2005. The Zheleznogorsk Project received approval for its conceptual design and cost range in November 2004.
In addition to the refurbishment and construction of the coal plants, Rosatom, SGCE, and MCC have identified other projects related to reactor shutdown. These projects were not covered in the U.S.-Russian Federation Agreements, but are vital to the broader interests of the EWGPP program and the international community. The projects are grouped into four categories.
- Nonproliferation is a major concern during the transfer of the spent fuel from the reactor to its final secure storage. Proper security for the fuel elements during removal, packaging, and transport is essential to keep the material out of the hands of states and organizations seeking nuclear weapons.
- Decommissioning the reactors after shutdown requires planning to ensure safe shipment and proper disposal of hazardous and radioactive materials. The 7000 metric tons of irradiated graphite stored on the sites is an additional threat to the environment that needs to be overcome during decommissioning of the facilities.
- Environmental Remediation projects will address contamination that has the potential of spreading across international borders and endangering populations far from the sites.
- Workforce Transition will focus on providing for the downsized workforce, thus removing any potential barriers to timely reactor shutdown. New commercial ventures provide economic stability to the local communities, and profits to commercial partners.
These projects work together to provide immediate benefits at the local level as the nuclear facilities are closed. They provide longer term benefits to the international community in terms of lowered risks to the environment and a decrease in the threat of nuclear proliferation.
To explore interest on the part of the international community in these ancillary supporting projects, a conference was held on February 8 and 9, 2005, at the Spiez Laboratory in Spiez, Switzerland. Eleven countries took part, as well as representatives of the European Commission and the International Atomic Energy Agency. The meeting was hosted by the Centre for International Security Policy of the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and organized by the NNSA and Rosatom. Staff of the Pacific Northwest Center for Global Security played a leading role in organizing the conference on behalf of NNSA.
Contact: Jana Fankhauser