CDNSI

CNDSI is dedicating its initial interest to the Megatons to Megawatts (M2M) program, which, when completed in December 2013, had converted roughly 500 metric tons of Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU)—equivalent to about 20,000 Hiroshima weapons—verified as originating from Russian nuclear weapons, into civilian nuclear fuel, producing roughly 10 percent of U.S. electricity for 20 years.

The M2M program contributed significantly to the sharp reduction in nuclear weapons, from a peak of nearly 70,000 atomic bombs in the 1980s to the current estimate of about 12,500. It has been calculated that after 1945 “more than 130,000 nuclear weapons were built.”

Of great interest are not only the political-diplomatic agreements but also the technical choices that led to the use of highly enriched uranium (HEU) for nuclear bombs to produce electricity through civilian nuclear power plants which permanently eliminated a significant portion of that weapons material. 

Projects

Prepared by an Informal Exploratory Working Group, an invitation-only working seminar will be held on Monday, June 16, 2025 at The Forum to articulate the methodology, conditions and timing of a comprehensive independent evaluation of the M2M program.

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Prompted by Civiltà dell’Amore and Nuclear for Peace, CNDSI is participating in an international team working on articulating the fundamental claim - internally attributed to Enrico Mainardi - that 

“Nuclear re-conversion is the only process

used successfully to terminate nuclear weapons 

(and to recover value out of them)”

The statement is extremely relevant in terms of the multidisciplinary opportunities and dilemmas that entails. The team works remotely and in person.