HEU removal in South Africa proves NNSA funding critical to preventing nuclear terrorism

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A group of nuclear security experts is congratulating the South African government and National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) for their efforts in returning 6.3 kilograms (13.8 pounds) of highly enriched uranium (HEU) to the United States. 

Such efforts strengthen the world’s defenses against nuclear terrorism by locking down vulnerable material that could be used to produce a nuclear weapon.  As little as 25 kilograms of HEU is required for a workable nuclear weapon.  NNSA has worked with international partners, including South Africa, to remove or adequately secure 3,091 kilograms of HEU or plutonium. 

The NNSA’s effort with South Africa is a success story that should inspire further progress in enhancing the global nuclear security regime.  For the United States, the Senate should act to restore funding cut from the Global Threat Reduction Initiative’s (GTRI) reactor conversion program, which converts nuclear reactors to run on non-weapon-grade low enriched uranium (LEU) rather than highly enriched uranium (HEU).  The National Nuclear Security Administration, which oversees the program, has set a goal to convert 200 research reactors to LEU by 2022.

While South Africa’s U.S.-origin HEU has been returned, South Africa still retains a large quantity of HEU that poses a potential security vulnerability. 

"This is another important step in reducing the danger posed by HEU around the world.  It should provide a good foundation for the key step — addressing the far larger stock of HEU left over from South Africa's weapons program,” said Matthew Bunn, an associate professor at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, FMWG Steering Committee member, and author of Securing the Bomb 2010. 

Miles Pomper, Senior Research Associate at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies and FMWG Steering Committee Member, noted that “South Africa could take a major leadership role in nonproliferation and save millions of dollars in nuclear fuel costs by blending its stores of HEU to low-enriched uranium fuel for its civilian nuclear reactor."

The FMWG, a coalition of more than 60 leading experts and non-governmental organizations in nuclear security formed to support and help implement the goal of securing all vulnerable fissile materials as quickly as possible.

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