The UK Global Threat Reduction Programme comprises a mature portfolio of programmes aimed at improving the security of fissile materials (i.e. plutonium and highly enriched uranium); reducing the number of sites containing nuclear and radiological material; reducing the risks of proliferation of biological expertise and materials; contributing to the destruction of chemical weapons stocks, and providing sustainable employment for former weapons scientists whose expertise could otherwise be misused.
All programmes have delivered significant interim achievements; most are being managed to conclusion by the currently–scheduled end of the Global Partnership in 2012.
Nuclear Programmes
The Global Threat Reduction Programme’s current nuclear programmes, managed by DECC, are:
- Andreeva Bay: assisting the safe and secure retrieval for reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste at Andreeva Bay in North West Russia;
- Nuclear Security Programme: ensuring that security of nuclear and radiological materials at vulnerable sites is upgraded in line with internationally accepted standards, through a number of projects in the former Soviet Union and elsewhere;
- Irreversible shut-down and decommissioning of the Soviet plutonium-producing reactor at Aktau, Kazakhstan;
- Closed Nuclear Cities / Centres Partnership: supporting the creation of meaningful alternative employment for former Soviet nuclear weapons personnel whose knowledge and expertise might otherwise pose a proliferation risk.
The UK also continues to support international remediation work at Chernobyl.
Chemical weapons destruction programme
The MoD manages the UK’s contribution to chemical weapons destruction in Russia. The main focus has been contributing to construction of chemical weapon destruction facility at Shchuch’ye, in the Urals, and its essential supporting industrial infrastructure.
Biological non-proliferation programme
The MoD manages this programme aimed at reducing the risks of proliferation of potentially “dual use” biological expertise and materials, including by providing former weapons scientists with civil employment.
Current portfolio: achievements to date
Interim achievements of ongoing programmes include:
- Substantial progress in international efforts to help Russia manage the safe and secure retrieval and removal of over 30 tonnes of highly radioactive spent nuclear fuel from its current storage in very poor conditions at Andreeva Bay in North West Russia. This is the UK’s largest Global Partnership programme;
- Completion of four projects under the UK’s Nuclear Security Programme to improve physical security infrastructure at civilian sites in Russia holding significant quantities of highly enriched uranium;
- Progress in building a new storage facility in the Chernobyl exclusion zone to provide safe and secure storage for Ukrainian highly active spent radioactive sources currently stored in a number of decaying facilities across the country. Construction is expected to commence in late 2010;
- Completion of major physical protection upgrade projects at sites in Armenia and Kazakhstan, in collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Office of Nuclear Security and via contributions to the IAEA Nuclear Security Fund;
- Working jointly with the US and Kazakhstan, irreversible shut-down of the former weapons-grade plutonium-producing reactor at Aktau, Kazakhstan in 2009 and removal of the spent nuclear fuel to safe storage on the other side of Kazakhstan in 2010;
- The creation of over 1,400 worthwhile and sustainable jobs in cities and centres in Russia and the former Soviet Union that contributed to the Soviet nuclear weapons programme, under the Closed Nuclear Cities / Centres Partnership. The programme is on track to exceed its objective of creating 3,000 jobs by 2012;
- Continued input to international remediation efforts at Chernobyl, managed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, including UK contributions totalling £28.5million to the 25th Anniversary pledging round in April 2011;
- In 2009, significant expansion of the biological non-proliferation programme. As well as engaging with institutes, the programme now seeks engagement with national governments regionally to maximise impact, support the emergence of sustainable scientific networks and improve awareness of, and compliance with, the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention;
- Construction, in partnership with a number of international donors, of a chemical weapons destruction facility at Shchuch’ye in the Urals, and its essential supporting infrastructure. Destruction operations began in March 2009, and by the end of June 2010 nearly half a million munitions, one quarter of the chemical weapons stockpile stored at Shchuch’ye, had been destroyed. This helped Russia to meet a key Chemical Weapons Convention milestone to destroy 45 per cent of its total chemical weapons stockpile by the end of 2009.