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USEC is deploying the American Centrifuge technology, a gas centrifuge uranium enrichment technology, in the American Centrifuge Plant being built in Piketon, Ohio.
This technology was initially developed by DOE during the 1970s and 80s and successfully demonstrated, but was ultimately not commercially deployed for reasons unrelated to the technology itself.
USEC has modified and improved this technology through the use of modern materials, advanced computer-aided design, digital controls and state-of-the-art manufacturing processes.
Demonstration and manufacturing activities are underway at several facilities located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. USEC initiated testing of centrifuge components in 2003 and began testing individual prototype machines in highly specialized test equipment in January 2005.
In 2006, the USEC project team at Oak Ridge tested a centrifuge machine that demonstrated performance of about 350 separative work units (SWU) per machine per year. This performance level has been reaffirmed in subsequent testing.
In 2007, USEC's project team froze the design of this prototype centrifuge machine, which is now operating in the Lead Cascade.
In 2008, USEC finalized the initial design for the AC100 machine and released the drawings to its strategic suppliers to begin manufacturing components for AC100 machines that are being installed in the Lead Cascade in the demonstration facility.
Work continues on the design for the value-engineered AC100 machine. In March 2009, USEC completed a second design release for the AC100 series machine, which we refer to as the AC100 Mod 1. This design reflects some value-engineering improvements from the initial AC100 design released in 2008. The company plans to continue its value engineering efforts and other efforts to optimize the machine going forward.
USEC has been conducting a Lead Cascade integrated testing program at the Piketon, Ohio, plant since August 2007. The test program involves the integrated testing of multiple prototype machines in a cascade configuration and has demonstrated the ability to generate product assays in a range usable by nuclear power plants. The centrifuges involved in the Lead Cascade integrated test program have operated for more than 275,000 total machine hours.
USEC is now working to deploy a test cascade of AC100 series machines in Piketon. This cascade will be in a commercial plant configuration and operate under commercial plant conditions.
Additional machines will be added to the cascade until it reaches 40 to 50 machines. This cascade is intended to provide additional data on equipment operation and reliability and identify opportunities to further optimize the centrifuge and cascade design.
The NRC issued the Construction and Operating License for the American Centrifuge Plant in April 2007 and USEC began construction on the American Centrifuge Plant in May 2007.
The baseline deployment schedule for the plant included beginning initial commercial operations in 2010 and reaching an annual production capacity at the ACP of 3.8 million SWU per year at the end of 2012. However, this schedule will be delayed. USEC’s ability to meet this schedule was dependent on USEC obtaining a commitment for a loan guarantee from DOE in the timeframe needed. In light of the absence of that commitment and USEC’s demobilization of portions of the project, USEC is not in a position to definitively update this schedule at this time.
The successful construction and operation of the American Centrifuge Plant is dependent upon a number of factors, including the availability and timing of financing, performance of the American Centrifuge technology, overall cost and schedule, and the achievement of milestones under the 2002 DOE-USEC Agreement.