Material accountancy in the Ningyo-Toge uranium enrichment pilot plant

The uranium enrichment pilot plant at PNC Ningyo-Toge Works, Japan, started operation in August 1979. Since then, inspection activities by the government of Japan and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have been carried out. A basic measure of safeguards is evaluation of material unaccounted for (MUF) by closing the material balance. As the plant now produces uranium of <5% enrichment, a material balance is closed only once a year. Until now, eight physical inventories have been taken. This paper describes the operator's procedures for material accountability and the values of MUF reported to the government of Japan and the IAEA