Moscow, 28 April: By the end of 2004, Russia will have accumulated 17,000-17,5000 tonnes of spent nuclear fuel at its nuclear power stations and at storage facilities of radiochemical plants, RIA-Novosti was told on Wednesday [28 April] at the press service of the Russian Atomic Energy Ministry, which is currently undergoing reorganization.

"The volume of spent nuclear fuel is increasing inexorably. In Russia, the increase amounts to about 850 t a year, and in the world it is 11,000-12,000 t," a press service spokesman said. "In the waste that Russia will have accumulated by the end of 2004, there will be about 175 t of plutonium and about 82 t of platinoid metals. These substances can be separated and subsequently used."

A spokesman for the ministry stressed that the mass of spent nuclear fuel accumulated annually at the world's nuclear power stations constitutes far less than one per cent of the annual increase in the mass of high-toxicity waste.

"Practically all spent nuclear fuel is isolated from the environment in secure, compact and well-protected storage facilities," he stressed.