US to Provide Energy Companies with 20 Tons of Plutonium for Nuclear Power Plants

The United States will supply 20 tons of plutonium to energy companies for nuclear power plants, as reported by Reuters.

This quantity refers to the material removed from decommissioned nuclear warheads after the Cold War. The 20 tons will become part of a stockpile of 34 tons of plutonium designated for weapons, which the US is obligated to eliminate under a 2000 agreement with Russia.

Initially, it was planned that the material would be processed into MOX fuel; however, in 2018, the Trump administration canceled this project, worth over $50 billion, due to budget overruns and delays.

Now, the plutonium will be sent directly to the energy sector, which is expected to reinforce the US's strategic line regarding the 'peaceful' use of former military stockpiles.