Exciting news for the advanced nuclear sector as the US-based Centrus Energy Corporation has completed construction on a cutting-edge uranium enrichment plant in Piketon, Ohio. This state-of-the-art facility features a cascade of 16 advanced centrifuges and is set to revolutionize the production of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) by the end of 2023.
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The HALEU cascade at Piketon (Image: Centrus)
With the support of the US Department of Energy, Centrus received USD150 million in funding to bring this project to life. The cascade and its associated systems have undergone rigorous testing and the completion of fissile material storage and Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) operational readiness reviews are the final steps before production can commence.
Piketon is the only production facility in the US that has been licensed by the NRC for HALEU production, making this a major milestone in the advanced nuclear industry. The HALEU produced here will be enriched to between 5% and 20% uranium-235, surpassing the uranium fuel used in traditional light-water reactors. This high-assay fuel will be essential for most of the advanced reactor designs being developed by the DOE's Advanced Reactor Demonstration Program.
This new plant marks the first time in 70 years that the US will own and operate its own uranium enrichment technology. Centrus is dedicated to leading the production of HALEU to support the deployment of advanced reactor designs worldwide. The company aims to scale up its facility to meet the full spectrum of uranium enrichment requirements, including low-enriched uranium for existing reactors and HALEU for advanced reactors.
After the initial demonstration run, Centrus' production of HALEU will be subject to the availability of Congressional appropriations, with plans to produce 900 kg of HALEU per year in 2024. The company is also exploring the possibility of expanding HALEU production at the Piketon facility by adding more cascades, provided that adequate funding or offtake contracts can be secured.
In just 42 months, a full-scale HALEU cascade with a capacity of 6,000 kilograms of HALEU per year (6 MTU/year) could be operational, with the potential to add additional cascades every six months. Get ready for a new era in uranium enrichment as Centrus Energy Corporation leads the way.
source:(https://www.world-nuclear-news.org/Articles/Centrus-on-track-for-HALEU-demonstration-by-year-e)
#Centrus Energy #Demonstration #Haleu #Uranium
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