Evaluation of proliferation resistance of uranium enrichment technologies by using GIF PR and PP evaluation method

Uranium enrichment is expected to play an important role on the use of nuclear power because of a steady uranium supply in the meanwhile. On the other hand, however, the technique has the possibility to lead to nuclear proliferation. Additionally, since there are recent projects involving the construction of large throughput centrifuge plants and the implementation of commercial-scale laser enrichment, the worldwide expansion of the technology is regarded as a concern on nuclear proliferation. Therefore, the evaluating proliferation resistance (PR) of the technique and the plant was considered important, but few cases were conducted. In this paper, PR of current centrifuge enrichment plant was evaluated by reference to PR and PP evaluation method developed by Generation IV International Forum (GIF). (author)