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2021 annual figures for holdings of civil unirradiated plutonium

United Kingdom

  National Totals As of 31 December 2021 Previous year (2020)
Rounded to 100 kg plutonium with quantities less than 50 kg reported as such
Tonnes Tonnes
1. Unirradiated separated plutonium in product stores at reprocessing plants 137 136.7
2. Unirradiated separated plutonium in the course of manufacture or fabrication and plutonium contained in unirradiated semi-fabricated or unfinished products at fuel or other fabricating plants or elsewhere 0.4 0.4
3. Plutonium contained in unirradiated MOX fuel or other fabricated products at reactor sites or elsewhere 2.0 2.0
4. Unirradiated separated plutonium held elsewhere. 1.2 1.1
  Total 140.6 140.2
Note: As of 31 December 2021 Previous year (2020)
(i) Plutonium included in lines 1-4 above belonging to foreign bodies. 24.1 24.1
(ii) Plutonium in any of the forms in lines 1-4 above held in locations in other countries and therefore not included above 0.0 0.0
(iii) Plutonium included in lines 1-4 above which is in international shipment prior to its arrival in the recipient State. 0.0 0.0

Estimated amounts of plutonium contained in spent civil reactor fuel - United Kingdom

  National Totals As of 31 December 2021 Previous year (2020)
Rounded to 1000 kg plutonium with quantities less than 500 kg reported as such
Tonnes Tonnes
1. Plutonium contained in spent fuel at civil reactor sites 8 8
2. Plutonium contained in spent fuel at reprocessing plants. 18 18
3. Plutonium contained in spent fuel held elsewhere. Less than 500 kg Less than 500 kg
  Total 27 26

Note

i) The treatment of material sent for direct disposal will need further consideration when specific plans for direct disposal have taken concrete form.

Definitions

  • Line 1: Covers estimated amounts of plutonium contained in fuel discharged from civil reactors;
  • Line 2:   Covers estimated amounts of plutonium contained in fuel received at reprocessing plants but not yet reprocessed.

Annual figures for holdings of civil high enriched uranium (HEU)* - United Kingdom

  National Totals As of 31 December 2021 Previous year (2020)
kg kg
1. HEU stored at enrichment plants Less than 1kg Less than 1kg
2. HEU at fabricating plants or at other reprocessing facilities 420 421
3. HEU at civil reactor sites Less than 1 kg Less than 1kg
4. HEU at locations other than civil reactor sites, enrichment fabricating and reprocessing plants (e.g. laboratories, research centres) 178 180
5. Irradiated HEU at civil reactor sites 5 5
6. Irradiated HEU at locations other than civil reactor sites 132 132
  Total 734 737

*The definition of high enriched uranium (HEU) is uranium enriched to 20% or more in uranium 235

Annual figures for holdings of civil depleted, natural and low enriched uranium (DNLEU) in the nuclear fuel cycle - United Kingdom

National Total As of 31 December 2021 Previous year (2020)
Rounded to the nearest 100 Tonnes
DNLEU 122756 Tonnes** 120015 Tonnes

**This number has been updated to correct an administrative error in a previous version of this report.