AN OVERVIEW OF THE GLOBAL THREAT REDUCTION INITIATIVE RESEARCH REACTOR CONVERSION PROGRAM

The mission of the United State (U.S.) Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration’s Office of Global Threat Reduction (GTRI) is to reduce and protect vulnerable nuclear and radiological materials located at civilian sites worldwide. GTRI is a key organization for supporting domestic and global efforts to minimize or, to the extent possible, eliminate the use of highly enriched uranium (HEU) in civilian nuclear applications. GTRI implements the following activities in order to achieve its threat reduction and HEU minimization objectives: • Converting domestic and international civilian research reactors and isotope production facilities from the use of HEU to low enriched uranium (LEU), developing new LEU fuels, and deploying associated manufacturing capabilities needed for new LEU fuels in the U.S., • Removing or disposing excess nuclear and radiological materials from civilian sites worldwide, and • Protecting high-priority nuclear and radiological materials worldwide from theft and sabotage. This paper provides a brief overview of the GTRI Convert Program’s status, the development of new high-density uranium-molybdenum (LEU-Mo) fuel, and future plans.