Changes

[[Uranium]] is the one viable clean energy source that does not create [[carbon emissions]]. By 2014 Russia controlled 60% of the world's uranium supply and half of all enrichment capacity.<ref>https://www.caseyresearch.com/putins-colder-war/ It already controls a third of yellowcake-to-uranium-hexafluoride conversion.</ref> Energy was one export commodity Russia had to integrate itself into the global trading system. Along with its [[crude oil]] and [[natural gas]] reserves Russia has set the goal for itself to become the world's energy powerhouse. The American firm Westinghouse along with [[French]] and [[Japan]]ese companies are Rosatom's only competitors. Rosatom has pursued various contracts to provide reactors in [[China]], [[India]], [[Iran]], [[Turkey]], [[Belarus]], [[Armenia]], [[Finland]], [[Hungary]], the [[UK]], [[Bangladesh]], [[Vietnam]], [[Cape Verde]], [[Namibia]], [[Tunisia]], [[Morocco]], [[Brazil]] and [[Uruguay]]. Rosatom additionally has contracts in [[Sweden]], the [[Netherlands]], [[Belgium]], [[Germany]], France, [[Spain]], the [[Czech Republic]], [[Slovakia]], [[Lithuania]], [[Bulgaria]], [[Slovenia]], [[Libya]], [[Algeria]], [[Egypt]], [[Jordan]], [[Venezuela]], [[Argentina]], [[South Africa]], [[Tanzania]], [[Japan]], [[South Korea]], [[Mongolia]], [[Australia]], [[Canada]], [[Mexico]] and the [[US]].

[[Uranium]] is the one viable clean energy source that does not create [[carbon emissions]]. By 2014 Russia controlled 60% of the world's uranium supply and half of all enrichment capacity.<ref>https://www.caseyresearch.com/putins-colder-war/ It already controls a third of yellowcake-to-uranium-hexafluoride conversion.</ref> Energy was one export commodity Russia had to integrate itself into the global trading system. Along with its [[crude oil]] and [[natural gas]] reserves Russia has set the goal for itself to become the world's energy powerhouse. The American firm Westinghouse along with [[French]] and [[Japan]]ese companies are Rosatom's only competitors. Rosatom has pursued various contracts to provide reactors in [[China]], [[India]], [[Iran]], [[Turkey]], [[Belarus]], [[Armenia]], [[Finland]], [[Hungary]], the [[UK]], [[Bangladesh]], [[Vietnam]], [[Cape Verde]], [[Namibia]], [[Tunisia]], [[Morocco]], [[Brazil]] and [[Uruguay]]. Rosatom additionally has contracts in [[Sweden]], the [[Netherlands]], [[Belgium]], [[Germany]], France, [[Spain]], the [[Czech Republic]], [[Slovakia]], [[Lithuania]], [[Bulgaria]], [[Slovenia]], [[Libya]], [[Algeria]], [[Egypt]], [[Jordan]], [[Venezuela]], [[Argentina]], [[South Africa]], [[Tanzania]], [[Japan]], [[South Korea]], [[Mongolia]], [[Australia]], [[Canada]], [[Mexico]] and the [[US]].

Disposal of nuclear waste is the most problematic issue facing the nuclear industry beyond the problem of [[nuclear proliferation]]. Rosatom has opted to reprocess highly radioactive spent fuel from its foreign plants. The radioactive waste must be cooled onsite for years before it can be transported. The transport of waste itself puts communities along the route at risk, and the final reprocessing generates an even greater volume of radioactive wastes. Reprocessing has been rejected in some nations, such as the United States. Reprocessing increases the volume of radioactive wastes and is a direct pathway to the production of separated weapons grade plutonium.

Disposal of nuclear waste is the most problematic issue facing the nuclear industry beyond the problem of [[nuclear proliferation]]. Rosatom has opted to reprocess highly radioactive spent fuel from its foreign plants. The radioactive waste must be cooled onsite for years before it can be transported. The transport of waste itself puts communities along the route at risk, and the final reprocessing generates an even greater volume of radioactive wastes. Reprocessing has been rejected in some nations, such as the United States. Reprocessing increases the volume of radioactive wastes and is a direct pathway to the production of separated weapons grade plutonium.

Blending, on the other hand, is the recycling of nuclear weapons material into nuclear fuel for power plants. In 1992, the United States and Russia signed the HEU-LEU treaty (also called "Megatons into Megawatts"), in which highly enriched uranium extracted from disassembled Russian warheads was blended into low-enriched uranium and sent to American nuclear power plants. In coming years the program fueled ten percent of U.S. electricity. Tenex (Techsnabexport) is the Rosatom subsidiary responsible for the sale and transportation of this uranium to the United States. Tenex maintained its presence in the United States under the name Tenam, established about October 2010, based in Bethesda MD. The HEU-LEU contract worth more than $13 billion terminated in 2013.

Blending, on the other hand, is the recycling of nuclear weapons material into nuclear fuel for power plants. In 1992, the United States and Russia signed the HEU-LEU treaty (also called "Megatons into Megawatts"), in which highly enriched uranium extracted from disassembled Russian warheads was blended into low-enriched uranium and sent to American nuclear power plants. In coming years the program fueled ten percent of U.S. electricity. Tenex (Techsnabexport) is the Rosatom subsidiary responsible for the sale and transportation of this uranium to the United States. Tenex maintained its presence in the United States under the name Tenam, established about October 2010, based in Bethesda MD. The HEU-LEU contract worth more than $13 billion terminated in 2013.

==Background==

==History==

Russia's main exports throughout the [[Cold War]] were [[AK-47]]s and T-62 [[tank]]s. When [[Hitler]] invaded in mid 1941 Russia was unprepared, and spent the entirety of [[World War II]] bringing its [[military industrial complex|weapons manufacturing capacity]] up to strength. When the [[Second World War]] ended, Soviet arms production didn't stop. For the next half century only a portion of Soviet manufacturing was ever converted to the peacetime domestic production of [[consumer]] goods, eventually leading to the collapse of the Soviet [[economy]] and state. The end of [[Cold War I]] brought a pledge from the new Russian leaders to end the declaration of worldwide [[Marxist]] revolution and the export of AK-47s, in exchange for membership in the [[IMF]] and [[G8]], and access to [[World Bank]] loans.

Russia's main exports throughout the [[Cold War]] were [[AK-47]]s and T-62 [[tank]]s. When [[Hitler]] invaded in mid 1941 Russia was unprepared, and spent the entirety of [[World War II]] bringing its [[military industrial complex|weapons manufacturing capacity]] up to strength. When the [[Second World War]] ended, Soviet arms production didn't stop. For the next half century only a portion of Soviet manufacturing was ever converted to the peacetime domestic production of [[consumer]] goods, eventually leading to the collapse of the Soviet [[economy]] and state. The end of [[Cold War I]] brought a pledge from the new Russian leaders to end the declaration of worldwide [[Marxist]] revolution and the export of AK-47s, in exchange for membership in the [[IMF]] and [[G8]], and access to [[World Bank]] loans.