The US Department of Energy is to invest in contracts and task orders amounting to $2.7 bn to strengthen domestic enrichment services over the next ten years, the aim being to expand US capacity for low-enriched uranium (LEU), and jumpstart new supply chains and innovations for high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) to help usher in the country’s nuclear renaissance.
Last year, DOE signed contracts with a total of six companies for LEU and HALEU enrichment that allowed them to bid on future work and on 6 January it announced task order awards with three companies that will help transition the USA away from foreign sources of uranium and diversify the nation’s domestic fuel supply.
Developing this new domestic production capacity ensures an adequate fuel supply is available to maintain operations of the country’s 94 commercial reactors and builds a strong base to supply future deployments of advanced nuclear reactors. To ensure accountability, these awards will be distributed to the companies under a strict milestone approach.
The following companies were awarded task orders totalling $2.7 billion to provide enrichment services for LEU and HALEU:
- American Centrifuge Operating ($900 million) to create domestic HALEU enrichment capacity;
- General Matter ($900 million) to create domestic HALEU enrichment capacity;
- Orano Federal Services ($900 million) to expand US domestic LEU enrichment capacity.
The DOE has also awarded an additional $28 million in Innovative Technology Funding Opportunities to Global Laser Enrichment to continue advancing next generation uranium enrichment technology for the nuclear fuel cycle. The award is the result of a competitive solicitation issued last December.
