The United States Department of Energy (DOE) is offering contracts worth up to $500 million in total for the production of a uranium fuel for smaller nuclear reactors, as it announced a breakthrough in an enrichment project.
The request for proposals is for the enrichment of high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU). Currently this fuel is produced only in Russia and the US but only the former makes it at a commercial scale, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The United Kingdom government earlier this month announced funding to enable domestic HALEU production.
“Currently, HALEU is not commercially available from U.S.-based suppliers, and boosting domestic supply could spur the development and deployment of advanced reactors in the United States”, the DOE noted in a press release announcing the funding offer.
In November, however, a company produced the US’ first 20 kilograms of HALEU, “a key milestone” in the DOE’s HALEU demonstration campaign, the DOE said.
Small modular reactors need HALEU, which contains five to 20 percent of uranium-235, beyond the five percent level that powers most of today’s nuclear power plants, according to the United Nations nuclear watchdog IAEA.
Nuclear energy is a key source of power in the US, accounting for 18.2 percent of the country’s total electricity generation 2022 according to the latest data from the country’s Energy Information Administration (EIA), which says nuclear has accounted for about a fourth of the national power mix since 1990.
Current nuclear plants in the US, numbering 54 as of August according to the EIA, run on uranium fuel that is enriched up to five percent with uranium-235.
“However, most U.S. advanced reactors require HALEU, which is enriched between 5 percent to 20 percent, to achieve smaller and more versatile designs with the highest standards of safety, security, and nonproliferation”, the DOE announcement said.
“HALEU will also allow developers to optimize their systems for longer life cores, increased efficiencies and better fuel utilization”.
Each contractor is assured of a minimum order value of $2 million. They must conduct enrichment and storage activities in the continental US and comply with the National Environmental Policy Act, the DOE said. Proposals are until March 8.
The $500 million offer includes a DOE request announced November for services to deconvert the uranium enriched through this funding into metal, oxide and other forms to be used as fuel for advanced reactors.
“Nuclear energy currently provides almost half of the nation’s carbon-free power, and it will continue to play a significant part in transitioning to a clean energy future”, Energy Secretary Jennifer M. Granholm noted in the DOE announcement.
National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi added, “Boosting our domestic uranium supply won’t just advance President Biden’s historic climate agenda, but also increase America’s energy security, create good-paying union jobs, and strengthen our economic competitiveness”.
Challenge to Russia
Earlier the UK Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) announced an investment of GBP 300 million ($382 million) for the domestic production of HALEU.
“The UK will become the first country in Europe to launch a high-tech HALEU nuclear fuel program, strengthening supply for new nuclear projects and driving Putin further out of global energy markets”, the DESNZ said in a press release January 7.
The DESNZ also said GBP 10 million ($12.7 million) has also been allotted to develop sites and promote skills development for the production of other “advanced nuclear fuels”.
UK-US Cooperation
In November the UK and the US signed a pact on collaboration to accelerate the commercial deployment of fusion energy through joint research and regulatory framework formulation.
“Fusion energy could provide a low-carbon, safe, sustainable and reliable energy…
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