AKIPRESS.COM - A new IAEA storage facility for low enriched uranium (LEU) in Kazakhstan will be formally inaugurated on 29 August, Director General Yukiya Amano told a regular meeting of the IAEA’s Board of Governors on Tuesday.

This will serve as a last-resort mechanism to provide confidence to countries interested in using nuclear power that they will be able to obtain LEU for the manufacture of fuel for nuclear power plants in the event of an unforeseen, non-commercial disruption to their supplies.

“Construction of the LEU Storage Facility by Kazakhstan is proceeding on schedule,” Mr Amano said.

He also announced that the 2017 IAEA Scientific Forum in September will focus on the use of nuclear techniques in health care and reported excellent progress in work to modernise the IAEA’s nuclear science laboratories.