NUCLEAR
The German coalition government has approved plans to export the Siemens Hanau plutonium uranium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel element factory to Russia.
Siemens is keen to dispose of the mothballed plant, worth a85 million, which has been idle for five years as it costs the company to maintain the plant in an operational condition. Furthermore, Siemens hopes the sale will recover some of the DM1 billion ($460 million) it spent building the factory. Russia wishes to enter the MOX fuel market as the process represents a method of disposing of the large quantities of weapons-grade plutonium that the country now has, as agreed under arms reduction treaties with the USA.