Uranium Enrichment & Fuel Cycle

USEC late yesterday reported a $40 million loss for the second quarter of 2013, compared to a $90 million loss during the same quarter last year. USEC attributed its latest financial results, in part, to the end of uranium enrichment activities at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. “The financial results for the second quarter and […]

Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway late last week raised the threat of a possible lawsuit if delays are incurred in the cleanup of the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant. “General Conway believes that if the cleanup deadlines are not completed within the outlined timeframes, the federal government would be violating its legal agreement with the Commonwealth […]

USEC warned investors earlier this week that current market conditions may no longer support the company’s efforts to develop its new American Centrifuge enrichment plant. While the ACP has long been seen as crucial to USEC’s future, the company said in its latest earnings report that, “Given the current enrichment market conditions and the challenges […]

The Department of Energy’s recently released final Request for Task Proposals for deactivation of the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant offered plenty of surprises for the teams lining up to bid on the work, including some issues that—if left unresolved—may force some companies to make tough bid/no-bid decisions. The contract, being bid under the Department of […]

All proposals are now in for a Request for Offers from the Department of Energy for the purchase of depleted uranium at the Paducah and Portsmouth sites and the potential use of Paducah facilities. DOE released the RFO on July 3 in an effort to seek use of the assets at the sites, and its […]

USEC this week officially fell back in compliance with the New York Stock Exchange’s requirements for minimum share price after its stock traded above $1 for 30 trading days in a row. The company first received a notice from the NYSE in May 2012 after its share price fell below the $1 limit, warning that […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration is looking to make another 14 metric tons of highly enriched uranium available for downblending to low-enriched uranium, and this week the agency released a notice gauging market interest in the project. Over the last few years, the agency has awarded contracts for the downblending of several portions of HEU, […]

Slightly more than a week after the Department of Energy issued the final Request for Task Proposals for the new Paducah deactivation contract, Bechtel formally notified DOE yesterday that it is standing down its work on the bid, citing a number of concerns with specific provisions in the RTP, WC Monitor has learned. The concerns […]

The Department of Energy has decided to reverse course and allow parent company costs to be reimbursed on the new Paducah deactivation contract. The change was announced in a set of questions-and-answers issued late last week on the final Request for Task Proposal for the new contract. One potential bidder had questioned DOE’s initial decision […]

Work has begun to tear down the massive X-600 coal-fired steam plant at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant. The project is being performed by crews from MCM Industrial Services under a subcontract with Fluor-B&W Portsmouth, LLC, the D&D contractor for the Portsmouth site, with the work scheduled to be completed by Sept. 30. The X-600 […]

In another shakeup of the field of competitors for the new Paducah deactivation contract, URS is reportedly standing down its proposal activities, according to industry officials. URS was previously reported to be part of a team that included CH2M Hill with B&W as a subcontractor. URS is reportedly the third company holding an ID/IQ contract […]

Portage is withdrawing its protest to the Government Accountability Office over the Department of Energy’s decision to award the new Portsmouth environmental technical services contract to Restoration Services Inc., Weapons Complex Morning Briefing has learned. The move comes after Portage learned more about DOE’s decision to award the new contract to RSI, according to industry […]

One day after indicating it was keeping a clause on liquidated damages that had been opposed by some contractors in the Request for Task Proposals for the new Paducah deactivation contract, the Department of Energy announced late last week that it would remove the provision. In a notice published Sept. 6, DOE said it had […]

The Department of Energy now appears set to be able to move forward with transition for the new Portsmouth environmental technical services contract, as two protests that had been filed over the award with the Government Accountability Office are coming to an end. Shawnee Environmental Technical Services Alliance, LLC, is withdrawing its protest after learning […]

The URENCO USA enrichment plant has reached a production capacity of 3 million separative work units, the company announced this week. The New Mexico facility marked the increase in capacity Monday when it introduced uranium hexafluoride gas into its new centrifuge cascade. “In June 2010 we began enriching uranium in our very first cascade. It […]

USEC filed a complaint late last week in Federal court claiming that the Department of Energy must reimburse the company more than $35 million for work between 2003 and 2011 that it says was not properly reimbursed.  “The contract services work included work performed by USEC under contract with DOE to maintain and prepare the […]

Members of Kentucky’s Congressional delegation met yesterday Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz and Deputy Secretary Dan Poneman to discuss the future of the Paducah site. Sens. Mitch McConnell (R) and Rand Paul (R) and Rep. Ed Whitfield (R) met with the officials after sending a letter last month to DOE requesting a long-term plan for the […]

Fluor-B&W Portsmouth, LLC, the D&D contractor for the Portsmouth site, has named Tracey Heidelberg as its new Director of Business Services. Heidelberg, who previously served as chief financial officer, replaces Bruce Hanni, who is returning to Fluor Government Group “where he will be taking on several new assignments,” according to an internal message issued earlier […]

Fluor-B&W Portsmouth, LLC, the cleanup contractor for the Portsmouth site, has named Jan Preston as its new acting Director of Environmental, Safety and Health, effective June 10. She replaces Tony Umek, who is returning to his previous position as Vice President and Executive Project Director of Fluor Federal Services.  Preston will also continue to hold […]

The Department of Energy has provided another $20 million to a program supporting USEC’s American Centrifuge project, as the next incremental infusion of funds into the ongoing effort. DOE kicked off the research, development and deployment cost-share program with USEC last year, which totals $350 million, with DOE’s share adding up to $280 million. USEC […]

Due to lower-than-anticipated demand, URENCO is slowing down construction of the next phase of its URENCO USA uranium enrichment facility in New Mexico. “URENCO USA is continuing its expansion to 5.7 million SWU, but we are operating in a marketplace that has a much diminished demand because of the accident in Japan,” URENCO Inc. President […]

Activists pushed against on-site disposal cells at the Paducah and Portsmouth sites and other issues at a meeting held last night by local governments in the Paducah area. Members of the group Neighbors for an Ohio Valley Alternative made a case against the potential on-site disposal of waste at both sites, presenting at a meeting […]

The balance of a Department of Energy research, development and deployment program supporting USEC’s American Centrifuge could be funded by a DOE reprogramming, USEC CEO John Welch said late last week. The RD&D program is set to wrap up at the end of 2013, but current funding runs out at the end of the fiscal […]

USEC’s stock stood at $6.65 per share at market close yesterday after hovering around $0.30 for weeks, a result of a 25-1 reverse stock split that went into effect yesterday.  USEC shareholders approved the move last week, necessary to increase its share price in order to keep it listed on the New York Stock Exchange. […]

Approximately five teams are believed to have formed to go after the Department of Energy’s new deactivation contract for the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, according to industry officials. Among the potential bidders is a team of CH2M Hill with B&W and URS; a team of Fluor with LATA; a team of Bechtel with EnergySolutions and […]

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear is planning to air his concerns today regarding the Paducah site in a meeting with Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz. Last week DOE released a Request for Offers for companies interested in purchasing some of its stockpile of depleted uranium hexafluoride tails stored at the Paducah and Portsmouth sites. But Beshear […]

The Department of Energy last week released its long awaited Excess Uranium Inventory Management Plan, more than a year after it had been due to Congress on June 30, 2012. The plan updates a 2008 document that details uses for DOE’s stockpiles of uranium. DOE released the new plan along with an announcement that it […]

USEC’s share price plummeted about 40 percent Friday after the company instituted a reverse stock split earlier in the week in hopes of raising the share price. The stock stood at $3.41 at close of business Friday after opening at $5.65. When the 25-1 stock split went into effect on Tuesday the share price jumped […]

After meeting yesterday with Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz, Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear (D) said that DOE addressed many of his concerns regarding the future of the Paducah site. The meeting comes after Beshear took issue with DOE’s recent Request for Offers seeking purchase of uranium tails at the site, and called for a speedy […]

Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Texas) proposed an amendment yesterday to the House FY 2014 Energy and Water spending bill to strip the $48 million included to support a research, development and deployment program for USEC’s American Centrifuge Plant. The Amendment gained the support of nine advocacy groups, including Taxpayers for Common Sense, the Natural Resources Defense Council, […]