The last Russia's plutonium production reactor, ADE-2 in Zheleznogorsk, will indeed be shut down earlier than it was originally planned (in 2010). Construction of the replacement heat-generating plant in Zheleznogorsk is expected to be completed in the fall of 2009, after which Rosatom would shut down the ADE-2 reactor. The construction of the plant is financed by the United States. Sergey Kiriyenko, the head of Rosatom, said that if the U.S. financing is delayed, the reactor would continue to operate producing weapon-grade plutonium. According to Kiriyenko, Rosatom is spending about 1 billion rubles ($40 million) a year to keep the reactor in operation.
Last Russian plutonium production reactor to shut down in 2009
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The date for the shutdown of the last Russian Pu production reactor, ADE-2 in Zheleznogorsk, is set to May 31, 2009. It is not clear, however, if the power plant that is supposed to replace ADE-2 in providing heat for... Read More
Russia's last plutonium production reactor, ADE-2 at Zheleznogorsk, was shut down at midnight on May 31, 2009 (at 24:00 MSK according to one report, which was 04:00, June 1st in Zheleznogorsk). The shutdown is not permanent yet - officially, the... Read More
White House Heralds Russia Agreeing to Shut Down Final Plutonium Reactor – As Previously Agreed April 13, 2010 3:57 PM Russian President Dmitri Medvedev announced today that Russia would shut down its final plutonium reactor, the ADE-2... Read More
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