Year
1996
Abstract
The Ulba Joint Stock Company Fuel Fabrication Plant (ULBA) produces WER and RBMK fuel pellets. The facility has an annual capacity in excess of 1,000 metric tons with the pellets sold primarily to facilities in Russia for loading into rods and the production of fuel assemblies. The facility is part of a four plant complex at Ust-Kamenogors~ Kazakstan. The Department of Energy (DOE) support for the enhancement of the facility Material Protectio~ Control and Accounting (MPC&A) programs started with the initial site survey in September 1994. During December 1994 a two- person team for the US provided on-site assistance as part of the facility preparation for the initial physical inventmy used to determine the quantities present for the declaration statement by the Republic of Kazakstan to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The DOE support program has been tided primarily through the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction Program. The management at the ULBA facility has demonstrated a mmmitment to developing a comprehensive Material Control and Accounting (MC&A) Program and has assigned staff and resources to the MC&A program. The facility has developed the structure and framework for the MC&A system and has developed procedures in several key MC&A areas. Initially the facility staff had a limited understanding of the purposes of a MC&A program but, through the continuing work with the DOE Technical Team, there are a large number of stithroughout the facility who understand MC&A requirements and are committed to implementation of the MC&A system.