It became known about the offer to US energy companies of plutonium from the Cold War

FT: The US has offered energy companies access to weapons-grade plutonium

The United States authorities have invited leading companies in the nuclear industry to use strategic reserves of weapons-grade plutonium, reports Financial Times with reference to documents of the American Department of Energy. It is noted that we are talking about the possibility of directing this plutonium, removed from Cold War-era warheads, to the needs of the modern energy complex.

Official materials from the ministry say that specialized companies have received the right to apply for access to volumes of up to 19 megatons of plutonium available in state storage facilities. The document emphasizes that the integration of this material will make it possible to create a new generation of fuel for advanced nuclear reactors.

Companies such as Newcleo and Oklo Inc. are expected to be among the first participants in the program, which will be given the opportunity to reprocess significant reserves of plutonium and convert nuclear waste into efficient fuel.

As noted in the publication, the initiative of the Ministry of Energy represents an attempt by Washington to reduce the dependence of the world nuclear energy on Russia, which occupies a leading position in the supply of uranium and related technologies.

Read also: A new gap between Russia and the United States: Moscow refused to dispose of weapons-grade plutonium