GAO REPORT HIGHLIGHTS UPF TECHNOLOGY CONCERNS

Technology planned for the Uranium Processing Facility continues to remain a major question mark for the project, according to a Government Accountability Office report released Friday that reveals a handful of new technology concerns. The report is part of the GAO’s continuing work on UPF and technology planned for the facility. According to the report, a new insulation material that will be used as a key safety control for special uranium casting operations has failed performance tests and has emerged as the project’s most significant technological risk. Contractor officials told the GAO that a new material is being considered as a replacement. Questions also surround the use of microwave casting technology, which the report noted hasn’t been demonstrated in a relevant environment, and a decision to reconsider a uranium purification technology—from saltless direct oxide reduction to direct electrolytic reduction and electrolytic refining—which could force a redesign of processing area and equipment and delay the installation of the technology.