NNSA TO EXPAND MOX BACKUP LEU RESERVE

The National Nuclear Security Administration is expanding its supply of low-enriched uranium set aside as a backup source for potential buyers of mixed-oxide fuel, arranging for a team of WesDyne International and B&W Nuclear Fuel Services to downblend another five metric tons of highly enriched uranium for the fuel reserve. The NNSA issued a notice of intent to modify the WesDyne/B&W NFS contract late last week, suggesting that the team was the only company capable of down-blending and storing the material. In 2009, WesDyne/B&W NFS was awarded a $209 million contract to downblend 12.1 metric tons of HEU into approximately 220 tons of LEU, retaining a portion of the material as compensation for the work. “DOE is evaluating its inventory of excess HEU, and decisions relating to the timely and availability of HEU have not been made to release a sufficient amount of HEU to warrant a new acquisition at this time, and further delay would likely result in disruption or shutdown of the only remaining U.S. HEU down-blending process,” NNSA said in an April 12 notice. “This material will provide additional LEU that will allow the OFMD [Office of Fissile Materials Disposition] to meet non-proliferation objectives and will be added to a larger domestic inventory of LEU that has been set-aside to support the surplus plutonium disposition program.” The agency is accepting comments on the sole source contract modification through April 27.