Output 1.3: Bilateral Safeguards
Nuclear material and associated items exported from Australia under bilateral agreements remain in exclusively peaceful use and obligations under nuclear cooperation agreements (NCAs) are effectively implemented.
Performance Measures
- Australian Obligated Nuclear Material (AONM) is accounted for in accordance with the procedures and standards prescribed under relevant bilateral agreements.
- Foreign Obligated Nuclear Material (FONM) is accounted for in accordance with the procedures and standards prescribed under relevant bilateral agreements.
- NCAs are effectively implemented and administrative arrangements are reviewed and revised as necessary to ensure their continuing effectiveness.
Performance Assessment
Australian Obligated Nuclear Material
On the basis of reports from bilateral treaty partners, other information and analysis, ASNO concluded that all AONM was satisfactorily accounted for. Details are provided in Table 14. Based on ASNO's analysis of reports and other information from counterparts on AONM located overseas, ASNO concludes that no AONM was used for non-peaceful purposes in 2020.
| Category | Location | tonnes19 |
|---|---|---|
| Depleted Uranium | Canada, China, European Union20, Japan, Republic of Korea, Russia, United States | 140,687 |
| Natural Uranium | Canada, China, European Union, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, United States | 34,273 |
| Uranium in Enrichment Plants | China, European Union, Japan, United States | 29,918 |
| Low Enriched Uranium | Canada, China, European Union, Japan, Mexico, Republic of Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, United States | 19,918 |
| Irradiated Plutonium | Canada, China, European Union, Japan, Mexico, Republic of Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, United States | 217 |
| Separated Plutonium | European Union, Japan | 1.5 |
| Total | 225,014.5 |
| Region | tonnes UOC (U3O8) | Percentage of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Asia | 0 | 0 |
| Europe | 874 | 12 |
| North America | 6,141 | 88 |
| Total | 7,015 | 100 |
| Fuel cycle Stage | Destination | U (tonnes) |
|---|---|---|
| Conversion | Canada | 5,680 |
| European Union | 623 | |
| United States | 251 | |
| Enrichment | European Union | 5,059 |
| Fuel fabrication | European Union | 21 |
| Republic of Korea | 105 | |
| United States | 156 | |
| Reactor | Switzerland | 9 |
The end-use for all AONM is electric power production in civil nuclear reactors and research and development for civilian applications. AONM cannot be used for any military purpose.
The shipper's weight for each UOC consignment is entered on ASNO's record of AONM. These weights, subject to amendment by measured Shipper/Receiver Differences, are the basic source data for ASNO's system of accounting for AONM in the international nuclear fuel cycle. ASNO notifies each export to the safeguards authorities in relevant countries. In every case, those safeguards authorities confirm to ASNO receipt of the shipment. ASNO also notifies the IAEA of each export to non-nuclear weapon states pursuant to Article 35(a) of Australia's Safeguards Agreement with the IAEA, and each export to nuclear-weapon states under the IAEA's Voluntary Reporting Scheme. Countries which receive these exports also report the receipts to the IAEA, to allow international transit matching of source material before it enters the initial point of safeguards.
Foreign Obligated Nuclear Material
Just as Australia's bilateral treaty partners report on AONM in their jurisdiction, ASNO in turn maintains an inventory and reports on the movement of Foreign Obligated Nuclear Material (FONM) – nuclear material that an Australian company has imported and which a bilateral treaty partner transfers under the nuclear cooperation agreement, or has been produced using previously imported FONM. An example of this is fuel and target plates for the Opal Reactor at ANSTO. Foreign obligations are in addition to IAEA safeguards, as all nuclear material in Australia is under IAEA safeguards. Given the international, but jurisdictionally independent nature of the nuclear fuel cycle (as described on page 27), nuclear material can be obligated by more than one bilateral treaty partner. Exporting countries may also choose not to place an obligation on particular types of nuclear material they export to Australia if they feel that IAEA safeguards alone can provide sufficient assurance of peaceful use.
ASNO tracks the movement of FONM in Australia and provides an FONM report to all our bilateral treaty partners each year, as a reciprocal action to receiving their annual AONM report.
In addition to nuclear material, foreign obligations can be placed on non-nuclear material (called associated material) such as heavy water, associated equipment or technology depending on the NCA.
| Category | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Source Material | kilograms |
| Natural Uranium (other than UOC) | 49 |
| Depleted Uranium | 2,611 |
| Thorium (other than Thorium Ore Residues) | 735 |
| Associated or non-nuclear material | kilograms |
| Heavy water and deuterium | 10,695 |
| Special Fissionable Material | grams |
| 235U – low enriched | 175,900 |
| 235U – high enriched | 714 |
| 233U | 3.7 |
| Plutonium (other than 238Pu) | 1,196 |
Bilateral Agreements
Reporting
Reports on AONM from ASNO's counterpart organisations were received in a timely fashion enabling efficient analysis and reconciliation with ASNO's records. Figures provided in Tables 16 and 17 are based on ASNO's analysis of all available information at the time of publication.
2021 will see the commencement of bilateral annual reporting between Australia and Ukraine, following the first transfer of AONM to Ukraine in April 2021. The Australia-Ukraine nuclear cooperation agreement entered into force in June 2017.
Implications of Brexit
A new Australia-United Kingdom NCA was signed in August 2018, which entered into force on 1 January 2021 following the UK's transition period following its decision to leave the European Union.
The Australia-United Kingdom NCA requires that Australian uranium to be used exclusively for peaceful purposes, be subject to IAEA safeguards, and be protected by internationally agreed standards of physical protection.
Cooperation between Australia and other Euratom Member States continues unaffected under the Australia-Euratom NCA, and ASNO commenced tracking transfers of AONM between Euratom member states and the United Kingdom in 2021.
Engagement on Nuclear Cooperation Agreements
While COVID–19 prevented ASNO representatives from conducting in-person reconciliation visits with representatives of our bilateral partners, ASNO maintained regular communication through email, phone and video teleconferences.
18 Figures are based on yearly reports to ASNO in accordance with Australia's bilateral agreements and other information held by ASNO.
19 All quantities are given as tonnes weight of the element uranium or plutonium. The isotope weight of 235U is 0.711 per cent of the element weight for natural uranium and from one to five per cent for low enriched uranium.
20 Euratom is the European Atomic Energy Community. The Australia-Euratom NCA covers all 27 Member States of the European Union, as well as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to 31 December 2020.
21 Export destinations for Australian uranium are decided by commercial factors including the availability of conversion capacity and customer preferences.
22 Figures are for transfers completed between jurisdictions from 1 January to 31 December 2020.
23 FONM data is provided in a consolidated form based on permit holder reporting and to protect commercial-in-confidence concerns.
