The U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) announced the completion of an operation to remove all enriched uranium from Venezuela's RV-1 research reactor.

NNSA specialists, working with experts from the Venezuelan Institute for Scientific Research, safely extracted 13.5 kg of uranium less than six weeks after the first site visit.

The operation was coordinated with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). American specialists packaged the radioactive material into a special spent nuclear fuel container, which was then shipped by sea to the United States in May.

The container was transported to the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, where radioactive materials are stored, deactivated, and processed. According to NNSA, the uranium is planned to be converted into high-concentration low-enriched material for U.S. nuclear industry needs.

“The safe removal of all enriched uranium from Venezuela sends another signal to the world about Venezuela's recovery and renewal,” said NNSA Administrator Brandon Williams. He added that with the support of the Donald Trump administration, the operation was completed in months, whereas similar projects typically take years.

NNSA noted that the RV-1 research reactor was used for scientific and nuclear research for decades. After its active operation ended in 1991, uranium with enrichment levels above 20% remained at the site.

Source: kun.uz