2.5 tons of uranium missing in Libya, says UN’s nuclear watchdog, raising safety concerns
- Natural uranium cannot immediately be used for energy production or bomb fuel, as enrichment process firstly requires the metal to be converted into a gas
- But contents of 10 “not present” drums, if obtained in war-torn nation by someone with technological means, can be refined to weapons-grade material, experts say
Some 2.5 tons of natural uranium stored in a site in war-torn Libya have gone missing, the United Nations nuclear watchdog said on Thursday, raising safety and proliferation concerns.
However, each tonne of natural uranium – if obtained by a group with the technological means and resources – can be refined to 5.6 kilograms (12 pounds) of weapons-grade material over time, experts say. That makes finding the missing metal important for non-proliferation experts.
An IAEA statement gave few details. The agency said that “safeguards inspectors found that 10 drums containing approximately 2.5 tons of natural uranium in the form of uranium ore concentrate were not present as previously declared at a location in the state of Libya”.
It added that “further activities will be conducted by the agency to clarify the circumstances of the removal of the nuclear material and its current location”.
Reuters first reported on the IAEA warning about the missing Libyan uranium, saying the IAEA told members reaching the site, that is not under government control, required “complex logistics”.