Plutonium

PLUTONIUM is a silvery, warm to touch isotope (radioactive element) which can only be produced by man, it does not occur naturally. It corrodes very quickly and is liable to sudden transitions.

Nations such as Britain have sought plutonium for its awesome weapons power. This was the raison d’être for nuclear reprocessing. The only way a state can be a nuclear weapons state is by having a uranium enrichment facility (BNFL Capenhurst in Cheshire) and a reprocessing facility. There are now two reprocessing facilities at Sellafield; B205 for handling older Magnox fuel and THORP for oxide fuels. Often stored by BNF as plutonium oxide, presumably a bit more stable in this state! First stored B277 inside tighter security fence,covered by cameras. Now at Sellafield in mini-vaults. These Mini vaults holding most of Britain's plutonium were filmed first time in Charles Stuarts "Inside Sellafield' screened on Channel Four in November 1989.(See picture) In THORP Plutonium will have a special store in powder form.

So far the world has produced 700 tonnes of PU. The UK has stockpiled 65 tonnes. Sellafield produces about 1.5 tonnes a year and hopes THORP will produce 6 tonnes p.a. It is stored as Plutonium oxide.

Information 2007/8 on inventory of uranium/plutonium held by NDA.

In MOX fuel one tonne MOX is 6.7 kilo U235 with 38.6 kilo plutonium and 954 kilo U238. Some PWRs can run a quarter load MOX, however British Energy has cautioned that they are not keen to use MOX because of increased safety shielding needed at various locations. This view that plutonium was not to be used in UK reactors was stated in House of Lords, HL Paper 41(1999)p62. July 1987, Michael Spicer, then Energy Secretary said;"The balance of plutonium produced in the CEGB's Magnox reactors was consigned to the UK-US defence agreement as stated by the Prime Minister on April 21, 1964, and was used by the US for civil purposes.Because of the barter arrangements under which plutonium is consigned it would not be in the national interest to publish these figures." Plutonium discharges to sea from Sellafield have fallen from 50 tera Bequerels in 1979 to 2.7 in 1986.(source H. of Commons) The levels have been reduced considerably by the EARP effluent treatment plant at Sellafield. However as plutonium has a half-life of 27,000 years the deposits in the seabed and mudflats around the Irish Sea shores will retain this legacy of Sellafield well into the next millennium. The government appointed RWMAC committee stated in May 1999: "RWMAC supports the House o Lords Select Committee recommendation that the government should develop and declare a clear policy for the management of the UK's stock of separated plutonium. It agrees that there can only be a limited use for the stock in the foreseeable future and that the remainder of the plutonium should be declared a waste unless a credible reason for doing otherwise can be given.'' Sellafield's plutonium can be detected in sea waters in the North Sea and on the European coast.
In 2006 it was alleged plutonium from Sellafield was sent to Israel to help them develop their own nuclear weapons according to a BBC news programme. According to BBC TV’s Newsnight programme, the UK supplied Israel with quantities of plutonium while Harold Wilson was prime minister. The plutonium and heavy water were sold despite a warning from British intelligence that it might "make a material contribution to an Israeli weapons programme".

*BNFL wants to use its Sellafield MOX plant as a way to use up some of the plutonium. The MOX plant cost £470 million to build. It was finished in 1996 but the plant lay idle until October 3 2001 when government gave approval to open it. However Green opponents are still opposed to the use of the plutonium fuel. British Energy, which operates all the UK's newer AGR nuclear reactors said Sept 97 it would be "difficult, if not impossible'' to use BNFL's newer MOX nuclear fuel, which contains plutonium.
UK stats:United Kingdom
Annual figures for holdings of civil unirradiated plutonium
National Totals as of 31 Dec. 2007 (Previous year's figures in brackets) Rounded to 100 kg plutonium with quantities less than 50 kg reported as such

TONNES
1. Unirradiated separated plutonium in product stores at reprocessing plants. 103.8 (102.9)
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. 1.3 (1.2)
3. Plutonium contained in unirradiated MOX fuel or other fabricated products at reactor sites or elsewhere. 1.9 (1.9)
4. Unirradiated separated plutonium held elsewhere. 1.0 (1.0)
Total 108.0 (106.9)
Note:
(i) Plutonium included in lines 1-4 above belonging to foreign bodies. 26.8 (26.5)
(ii) Plutonium in any of the forms in lines 1-4 above held in locations in other countries and therefore not included above. 0.9 (0.9)
(iii) Plutonium included in lines 1-4 above which is in international shipment prior to its arrival in the recipient State. 0 (0)
Estimated amounts of plutonium contained in spent civil reactor fuel
National Totals as of 31 Dec. 2007 (Previous year's figures in brackets) Rounded to 1000 kg plutonium with quantities less than 500 kg reported as such
1. Plutonium contained in spent fuel at civil reactor sites. 6 (6)
2. Plutonium contained in spent fuel at reprocessing plants. 29 (28)
3. Plutonium contained in spent fuel held elsewhere. Less than 500kg (Less than 500kg)

Note:
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.

Possible extra details on plutonium can be found in;
The Plutonium Business by Walter Patterson (Paladin) ISBN D58608482-7