Ural Electrochemical Integrated Plant

The UEIP, or in Russian, Ural'skii Elektrokhimicheskii Kombinat, is Russia's leading producer of low enriched uranium fuel for nuclear power stations.

The plant came into being in 1949 when it began producing weapons-grade uranium by the method of gaseous diffusion. In 1960, Academician I. K. Kikoin supervised the installation of centrifuges to replace the gaseous diffusion method of enriching uranium.

In 1989, the plant stopped producing weapons-grade uranium and began producing low-level enriched uranium; that is, it reprocesses the weapons-grade uranium into fuel for nuclear power stations. In addition to this, the plant is also one of Russia's major nuclear industry research centers.

Currently, the plant has 3,500 employees, 74 of which are Ph.D's. the plant also manufactures static frequeency converters and sensors, electronic devices, spare parts for farm machinery, soft ice cream freezers, generators for onboard power supplies for spacecraft and communication satellites, dialysis machines, catalytic units for automotive emissions and autoclave-type thermostatic compressors. The machine shop in the plant also repairs motors and compressors.

After the plant was built in 1949, a small closed city grew up around it, called Sverdlovsk-44. Presently, the name of the town has been changed to Novouralsk and has a population of about 100,000 people. It is located on the shores of the Verkh-Nevinsk lake, not far from the city of Ekaterinburg. Sandians get there from Ekaterinburg by car, first driving to Pervouralsk (about a one-hour drive) and then continuing to Novouralsk (another two- to three-hour drive).

Novouralsk, Russia 624130

Tel.: 34370-2-25-77
FAX: 34370-2-41-41
Director: Vitalii Kornilov