Russia to Get First Nuke Waste Batches Within Year

Russia will receive initial batches of depleted nuclear fuel from overseas power plants quite soon - within this year, Alexander Rumyantsev, federal Minister of Nuclear Power Industry, said to a news briefing in Moscow. The arrangement concerns only small batches, he reassured.

The minister regards spent nuclear fuel import as very profitable. Indicatively, other countries are loath to admit Russia to the related market, he stressed. The arrangement will be lucrative as recently adopted laws on such imports make Russia a legitimate figure in the transnational nuclear fuel service market. Thus, it legalises Russian involvement in power plant construction in Iran, China and India with prospects of fuel elements exported from Russia to its client countries to get back once spent.

The USA holds jurisdiction over an approximate 80% of the world's depleted nuclear fuel, and America spares no efforts to retain dominance in that field, added Mr. Rumyantsev.