UK stocks of U and Pu reported

16 August 2007

The UK Health & Safety Executive (HSE) reported figures for the country's stocks of civil plutonium and uranium. As of 31 December 2006, civil sector plutonium inventories included 102.9 tonnes of unirradiated separated plutonium in stores at reprocessing plants, 1.2 tonnes in the course of manufacture, 1.9 tonnes in mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel or other products, 6 tonnes in used fuel at reactor sites and 28 tonnes in used fuel at reprocessing plants. UK stocks of unirradiated plutonium totaled 106.9 tonnes at the end of 2006, compared with 105.2 tonnes at the end of 2005. The HSE attributed the slight increase to continuing reprocessing operations. 93,000 tonnes of depleted, natural and low enriched uranium (LEU) was held in the civil fuel cycle at the end of 2006, compared with some 86,400 tonnes a year earlier. This increase reflects increased stocks at Urenco's enrichment plant at Capenhurst, the HSE said. At the end of 2006, some 1441 kg of high enriched uranium (HEU) was held in various forms, down from 1490 kg at the end of 2005. The decrease is attributed to the downblending of material recovered during decommissioning of the gas diffusion enrichment plant at Capenhurst.

Further information

Health & Safety Executive

WNA's Nuclear Power in the United Kingdom information paper
WNA's
Plutonium information paper
WNA's
Uranium and Depleted Uranium information paper