NNSA LOOKING TO RELEASE 14 MTS OF HEU FOR DOWNBLENDING

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, selecting teams consisting of WesDyne and Babcock & Wilcox (and its subsidiary, Nuclear Fuel Services) for the work. In an Aug. 13 Expression of Interest Request, the agency said it is “willing to consider new and innovative arrangements” for the downblending of the latest tranche of HEU, and it said interested parties could be commercial entities, nuclear fuel cycle suppliers, research organizations, or groups of interested companies and organizations. The 14 metrics tons that may be made available is of varying U-235 assays that average approximately 88 percent U-235. The material is expected to be available starting in 2015 at a rate of 2 to 3 metric tons per year. The NNSA said it expects the material to be downblended by 2022. The agency also said it would consider proposals to produce uranium oxides like U3O8 and UO3 or other forms of uranium at U-235 assays up to 19.75 percent that could be used in the production of medical isotopes. Interested companies have until Sept. 20 to submit Expressions of Interest to the NNSA.