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USEC was involved in the disposition of a portion of the 174.3 metric tons (MT) of highly enriched uranium (HEU) that the U.S. government declared as surplus military material in 1996.
Through the U.S. HEU Downblending Program, this HEU material, taken primarily from dismantled U.S. nuclear warheads, was recycled into low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel, used by nuclear power plants to generate electricity.
December 1994: USEC and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sign a Memorandum of Agreement providing for the transfer to USEC of about 13.2 (ultimately, 14.2) MT of HEU in the form of uranium hexafluoride (UF6). This HEU (at an average enrichment level of about 75 percent of the fissionable isotope uranium-235) is to be diluted to LEU fuel of less than 5 percent U235 at USEC's gaseous diffusion plant near Portsmouth, Ohio.
December 1997: International Atomic Energy Agency begins monitoring the HEU dilution process.
April 1998: USEC and DOE sign a Memorandum of Agreement giving USEC title to the equivalent of 50 MT of HEU, primarily in the form of oxide and metal, with an average enrichment level of about 40 percent U235.
July 1998: First blend-down program (of 14.2 MT HEU) is completed at USEC's Portsmouth plant. This HEU yields approximately 388 MT of LEU fuel at an enrichment level of about 4 percent U235.
August 1998: USEC contracts with BWX Technologies (BWXT) to dilute the approximately 50 MT of HEU oxide and metal at its Lynchburg, Virginia facility.
March 1999: USEC contracts with Cameco Corp. for delivery of uranium trioxide (UO3) blend-stock to BWXT. Delivery begins in May 1999.
December 1999: Downblending by BWXT begins. Dilution is expected to yield approximately 647 MT of LEU fuel or the equivalent of more than 14 million pounds of natural uranium concentrate and more than 3.1 million separative work units (SWU).
2000: Cumulative progress: DOE has delivered 9.2 MT of HEU to BWXT for downblending. 58.9 MT of LEU fuel has been produced. 25.4 MT of LEU has been shipped to fabricators.
2001: Cumulative progress: DOE has delivered 15 MT of HEU to BWXT for downblending. 157.2 MT of LEU fuel has been produced. 121.4 MT of LEU has been shipped to fabricators.
2002: Cumulative progress: DOE has delivered 23 MT of HEU to BWXT for downblending. 263.6 MT of LEU fuel has been produced. 242.6 MT of LEU has been shipped to fabricators.
2003: Cumulative progress: DOE has delivered 33.7 MT of HEU to BWXT for downblending. 378.5 MT of LEU fuel has been produced. 356.1 MT of LEU has been shipped to fabricators.
2004: Cumulative progress: DOE has delivered 41.9 MT of HEU to BWXT for downblending. 489.9 MT of LEU fuel has been produced. 463.6 MT of LEU has been shipped to fabricators.
2005: Cumulative progress: DOE has delivered 45.8 MT of HEU to BWXT for downblending. 605.2 MT of LEU fuel has been produced. 584.5 MT of LEU has been shipped to fabricators.
September 2006: Program completed: DOE delivered a final total of 46.6 MT of HEU to BWXT for downblending. 660 MT of LEU fuel was produced and shipped to fabricators.