The ITER Project Office in Russia and the International Organization ITER signed two next contracts for manufacture and supply of the diagnostic equipment for the experimental thermonuclear reactor being built in France. Now Russia, in addition to other equipment, will undertake to produce two optical diagnostic systems, i.e. the active spectroscopy and hydrogen emission spectroscopy. These systems are intended to measure various parameters of plasma during the installation operation. The second of the diagnostic systems should be manufactured, tested and supplied to the International Organization ITER already by the “first” plasma.

The U.S. White House will not allow the U.S. Congress to decrease the nuclear cooperation with Russia. The nonproliferation cooperation with the Russian Federation meets the national interests of the USA and remains a key element of the global efforts to counter the threat of nuclear terrorism, the U.S. Administration says. This statement was initiated by a bill proposed by the Congress, which cuts appropriations for technologies, including the cooperation in nuclear nonproliferation with Russia. Bill No. 4923, which was discussed by the House of Representatives and proposed by Make Simpson of the Republican Party, has not been addressed by the Congress session yet. 

The National Nuclear Center of the Republic of Kazakhstan (NNC) prepares for testing of Russia-made low enriched uranium (LEU) fuel for research reactors. Erlan Batyrbekov, the head of NNC, said the first stage of the project of conversion of all research reactors in Kazakhstan from highly enriched uranium (HEU) fuel to LEU fuel was completed in 2014: the calculation technical justification demonstrated a theoretical feasibility of such conversion. “Since the theoretical feasibility of such conversion without degrading the reactor technical characteristics was confirmed, we have started implementing the second stage, i.e. preparations for tests of the experimental low enriched uranium fuel specially developed in Russia,” Batyrbekov said.