Participants

The National Security Council coordinates Administration policy on the project.

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is the overall core conversion project manager. Its principal responsibilities include

• overall project direction
• management of budgets, schedules and project reviews
• negotiation of Cooperative Threat Reduction-required agreements and preparation of equired reports to Congress.

The U. S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) principal responsibilities in the project are

• provide direction on technical issues, nuclear safety, and integration of the associated DOE risk reduction efforts at the three Russian production reactors
• coordinate regulatory issues pertaining to core conversion with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

The U. S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) consults with the Russian regulator, GAN, as requested, to assist in the regulatory review and approval process.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory provides technical leadership of the project with assistance from other U.S. contractors and governmental and scientific organizations. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the Kurchatov Institute, with oversight from DoD, DOE, and Minatom, conduct project reviews to assess progress and ensure cooperative efforts are well coordinated.

Russian Ministry of Atomic Energy (Minatom) provides authority, direction, and Russian funding contributions to the project and integration of the Russian team. As the owner of the reactor plants, Minatom submits all design and safety analysis documents to GAN for their reactor operators, SChK and MChK.

Kurchatov Institute has been assigned by Minatom to provide management and integration of the Russian design team, and analysis and testing support.

OKBM has been assigned by Minatom as the lead designer and equipment supplier.

Russian organizations assisting the Kurchatov Institute and OKBM on the design team include

• VNIPIET - balance of plant design
• VNIINM - fuel and absorber design
• TsNIIPSK - metals structures analysis
• SChK and MChK - reactor plant approvals and tests
• NZChK - prototype fuel and absorber manufacturing
• TVEL - conversion fuel manufacturing.

Gosatomnadzor (GAN), Russia's regulatory organization, provides independent review and approval of design, construction, and operating permits.