The National Nuclear Security Administration has begun to take the first steps toward scaling back its plans for the Uranium Processing Facility, saying yesterday that it is developing “alternative mission delivery scenarios” that focus on replacing the Y-12 National Security Complex’s Building 9212 complex. In a statement, NNSA spokesman Keri Fulton said the agency would continue to develop a “credible cost and schedule estimate” for the Uranium Processing Facility as it had planned, but the alternative scenario being developed would address the “highest mission risk” at Y-12, replacing 9212’s enriched uranium capabilities. Late last year, the Department of Defense’s Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation group estimated that the facility could cost as much as $19 billion, forcing the NNSA to reconsider its plans, and language in the omnibus appropriations bill released this week referenced DOE’s “recent decision to consider additional alternatives to meet the uranium infrastructure needs at Y-12 that might save costs and lead to a replacement facility for Building 9212 in a shorter period of time.”
NNSA CONFIRMS IT’S LOOKING INTO OPTIONS TO SCALE BACK UPF
Fulton said the alternative scenarios that will be examined will focus on replacing 9212 by 2025 within UPF’s original cost range of $4.2 to $6.5 billion. Officials with knowledge of the NNSA’s design plans say that could be achieved by building a smaller facility that would only house the enriched uranium capabilities to replace 9212 rather than building a larger facility that would also include room for capabilities currently contained in Building 9215 and Beta-2E. The agency had already decided to push back moving capabilities in those facilities to save money.
NNSA, company establish framework for high-yield fusion collaboration
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) and Fremont, Calif.-based Pacific Fusion have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to explore collaboration on high-yield fusion, high-energy-density science and related technical areas. The MOU was signed by NNSA Administrator Brandon Williams and Pacific Fusion co-founder and Chief Technical Officer Keith LeChien as the company broke ground on […]