As nuclear security is being strengthened internationally, highly enriched uranium, which was used until the end at domestic universities in research reactors at Kinki University, will be returned to the United States.
According to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, a research reactor at Kinki University in Osaka Prefecture has been using highly enriched uranium provided by the United States since it began operating in 1961, but it was stolen from the viewpoint of nuclear security. It means that they decided to return it to the United States in order to avoid the risk of
Kindai University has decided to switch the fuel to low-enriched uranium with an enrichment of about 20%.
Since highly enriched uranium can also be used for nuclear weapons, in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks that occurred in the United States in 2001, the United States has stepped up efforts to collect it from other countries. is required.
In Japan, highly enriched uranium was used as fuel for research reactors, but so far, the highly enriched uranium used in the research reactors of the University of Tokyo and Kyoto University has been returned to the United States.
With the decision to return Kinki University, all highly enriched uranium used in domestic universities will be removed.