Uranium Enrichment & Fuel Cycle

Kenneth Fletcher RW Monitor 1/10/2014 USEC’s American Centrifuge Project late last month successfully passed a “station blackout” test, a significant step given that a cutoff to power supply in 2011 raised questions about the technology. The Dec. 18 test occurred under a Department of Energy research, development and deployment program supporting the technology, and involved […]

Kenneth Fletcher RW Monitor 1/10/2014 USEC’s American Centrifuge Project late last month successfully passed a “station blackout” test, a significant step given that a cutoff to power supply in 2011 raised questions about the technology. The Dec. 18 test occurred under a Department of Energy research, development and deployment program supporting the technology, and involved […]

Kenneth Fletcher RW Monitor 1/10/2014 USEC’s American Centrifuge Project late last month successfully passed a “station blackout” test, a significant step given that a cutoff to power supply in 2011 raised questions about the technology. The Dec. 18 test occurred under a Department of Energy research, development and deployment program supporting the technology, and involved […]

Uranium Producers Oppose DOE View That Transfers Won’t Impact Market Mike Nartker WC Monitor 5/16/2014 In a move that could have serious impacts for D&D efforts underway at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant, the Department of Energy is revamping how it manages its stocks of excess uranium, with less to be provided to help fund […]

Kenneth Fletcher RW Monitor 5/16/2014 USEC this week reported a net loss of $50.8 million in the first quarter of 2014 compared to a loss of just $2 million in the same quarter last year, with the heavier losses largely a result of the end of enrichment operations at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. USEC […]

Kenneth Fletcher RW Monitor 5/9/2014 The National Nuclear Security Administration is transferring $56.65 million from other programs to an effort to preserve the American Centrifuge technology under a new contract being managed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The ORNL subcontract, awarded to USEC, is worth $33.7 million through the end of this fiscal year, and […]

Bill Reported Out of Committee Late This Week Mike Nartker WC Monitor 5/9/2014 Members of the House Armed Services Committee dropped funding for a new federal contribution to the Uranium Enrichment D&D Fund from the Fiscal Year 2015 National Defense Authorization Act before reporting the bill out of committee late this week. As originally drafted, […]

Kenneth Fletcher NS&D Monitor 5/9/2014 The National Nuclear Security Administration is transferring $56.65 million from other programs to an effort to preserve the American Centrifuge technology under a new contract being managed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The ORNL subcontract, awarded to USEC, is worth $33.7 million through the end of this fiscal year, and […]

Kenneth Fletcher NS&D Monitor 5/2/2014 As a contract that cedes management of the American Centrifuge Project from USEC to Oak Ridge National Laboratory began this week, Senate appropriators are questioning how the program will be funded. This week DOE and USEC’s bankruptcy court approved a $118 million subcontract between ORNL contractor UT-Battelle and USEC to […]

Total Value of Proposed Contract Could Reach Approx. $120 Million Kenneth Fletcher NS&D Monitor 4/25/2014   In a new effort to continue to fund the American Centrifuge project, USEC is looking to serve as a subcontractor to Oak Ridge National Laboratory, though the Department of Energy has yet to give its approval. The proposed subcontract, […]

DUF6 Plant Manager Leaves WC Monitor 4/25/2014 Tom Robinson has stepped down as B&W Conversion Services, LLC’s plant manager of the Paducah depleted uranium hexafluoride conversion plant. Robinson had served as manager of the Paducah plant since BWCS took over as managing contractor for the Department of Energy’s two DUF6 conversion plants (located at the […]

Judge Blocks FBP from Hiring Pro2Serve Workers WC Monitor 4/25/2014 A federal judge late last week blocked Fluor-B&W Portsmouth, LLC, from hiring employees of Professional Project Services (Pro2Serve) at the Portsmouth D&D project. The judge partially granted a request from Pro2Serve for a temporary restraining order as it moves forward in its recently filed lawsuit […]

Kenneth Fletcher NS&D Monitor 4/18/2014 While a Department of Energy program supporting USEC’s American Centrifuge technology had been set to expire this week, some savings have allowed USEC and DOE to undertake a “no-cost” extension of the program until the end of the month. The extension will allow details to be worked out for current […]

Kenneth Fletcher NS&D Monitor 4/11/2015 While a Department of Energy program supporting the American Centrifuge Project is set to come to an end next week, DOE is deciding how to reprogram National Nuclear Security Administration funds to keep the project alive. Last week, Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz said the Oak Ridge National Laboratory will […]

Jeremy L. Dillon RW Monitor 3/14/2014 A Dutch medical isotope company will not meet its goal of shifting to the use of low enriched uranium for the production of molybdenum-99 by the 2015 target date, according to a meeting held this week with White House officials. Mallinckrodt confirmed to White House officials that it would […]

USEC and the Department of Energy yesterday launched a nearly three-month extension of a cost-share program supporting USEC’s American Centrifuge technology in which additional tests will be performed. The extension, running from Jan. 29 until April 15, will use about $5.9 million of USEC funds and $23.05 million in DOE funds. The money was part […]

International Isotopes remains hopeful that it will eventually secure enough contracts to move forward with its proposed uranium de-conversation facility in Hobbs, N.M., according to President and CEO Steve Laflin during an investor’s call yesterday. The company announced in its third quarter results last year that active design and construction for the facility needed to […]

The Department of Energy plans to make a decision within the next 60 days on whether it will combine the infrastructure support services contracts at the Portsmouth and Paducah sites, DOE spokesman Bill Taylor said yesterday. The work is currently being performed under two separate contracts: At Portsmouth Wastren-EnergX Mission Support, LLC, has a contract […]

DUF6 Project contractor B&W Conversion Services, LLC, earned 87 percent of its available award and incentive fee in Fiscal Year 2013, according to information released yesterday by the Department of Energy. The contractor earned $1.88 million out of $2.16 million in available award fee. “The contractor met the majority of performance goals and objectives for […]

Ohio Sens. Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown sent a letter to Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz Friday requesting a meeting to discuss USEC’s American Centrifuge Project. The future of the southern Ohio project remains uncertain, as USEC has said that it can’t fund it without government support. The omnibus appropriations bill Congress passed last month […]

The Department of Energy is considering “all options” in its review of the national security requirements for a domestic enrichment capacity, DOE Deputy Secretary Dan Poneman said Friday at the Nuclear Deterrence Summit. DOE is undertaking a assessment of its options during a three-month extension of a cost-share program supporting USEC’s American Centrifuge Plant ending […]

In changes in its security approach at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, USEC this week is laying off security guards and de-manning a security checkpoint. The changes are taking place as USEC winds down its role at Paducah following the end of enrichment operations beginning last summer. “Starting this week, security at the site will […]

In a another step in a proposal to construct an enrichment plant at the Paducah site, Global Laser Enrichment intends to submit a license application by September to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the company told the NRC last week. “GLE expects to submit the license application for the [Paducah Laser Enrichment Facility] by September 2014 […]

As the Department of Energy does a cost-benefit analysis of options for domestic uranium enrichment technologies for national security needs, DOE and B&W have had discussions regarding a potential B&W-led project using American Centrifuge technology. DOE has been supporting USEC’s American Centrifuge technology through a RD&D program, stating a domestic enrichment capacity is needed for […]

USEC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy yesterday after reaching an agreement with investors and  the majority of bondholders on its financial restructuring plan. This comes after the company announced in December it planned to file for Chapter 11 due to a market downturn, which made it difficult to address $530 million in convertible notes due […]

A federal bankruptcy judge questioned the long-term viability of USEC in an initial Thursday hearing of USEC’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. USEC is seeking additional government support and a reorganization of its debt in the hopes that improving market conditions will eventually back its American Centrifuge Project. “What exactly is the point of reorganizing the […]

The Department of Energy is launching a small business procurement for a follow-on Paducah Infrastructure Services contract, posting Friday a sources sought notice and draft performance work statement. Swift and Staley, LLC, is the incumbent contractor and has a contract that expires on March 15, 2015. The contract covers a variety of services related to […]

International Isotopes President and CEO Steve Laflin said in the company’s third quarter earnings report last week that design and construction progress on the Hobbs de-conversion facility would be “put on hold” until more contracts could be found. “Part of that cost control involves placing additional engineering work and formal design activities for the planned […]

A severe storm in western Kentucky Sunday activated an emergency alert at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant and caused external damage to buildings there, according to plant contractor USEC. “The damage was centered around one of the plant’s four enrichment production buildings, adjacent cooling towers and a nearby electrical switchyard,” according to a USEC statement. […]

Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee leaders are questioning the Department of Energy on possible future support for USEC’s American Centrifuge Project. The company said recently it would need help from the government to keep the project running smoothly in early 2014 after the end of a DOE R&D program for ACP. Subcommittee chair Dianne […]