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The busyness of the nuclear fuel supply chain
Ken Petersenpresident@ans.org
With all that is happening in the industry these days, the nuclear fuel supply chain is still a hot topic. The Russian assault in Ukraine continues to upend the “where” and “how” of attaining nuclear fuel—and it has also motivated U.S. legislators to act.
Two years into the Russian war with Ukraine, things are different. The Inflation Reduction Act was passed in 2022, authorizing $700 million in funding to support production of high-assay low-enriched uranium in the United States. Meanwhile, the Department of Energy this January issued a $500 million request for proposals to stimulate new HALEU production. The Emergency National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2024 includes $2.7 billion in funding for new uranium enrichment production. This funding was diverted from the Civil Nuclear Credits program and will only be released if there is a ban on importing Russian uranium into the United States—which could happen by the time this column is published, as legislation that bans Russian uranium has passed the House as of this writing and is headed for the Senate. Also being considered is legislation that would sanction Russian uranium. Alternatively, the Biden-Harris administration may choose to ban Russian uranium without legislation in order to obtain access to the $2.7 billion in funding.
C. E. Kessel, D. Andruczyk, J. P. Blanchard, T. Bohm, A. Davis, K. Hollis, P. W. Humrickhouse, M. Hvasta, M. Jaworski, J. Jun, Y. Katoh, A. Khodak, J. Klein, E. Kolemen, G. Larsen, R. Majeski, B. J. Merrill, N. B. Morley, G. H. Neilson, B. Pint, M. E. Rensink, T. D. Rognlien, A. F. Rowcliffe, S. Smolentsev, M. S. Tillack, L. M. Waganer, G. M. Wallace, P. Wilson, S.-J. Yoon
Fusion Science and Technology | Volume 75 | Number 8 | November 2019 | Pages 886-917
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.1080/15361055.2019.1610685
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
Liquid metal (LM) plasma-facing components (PFCs) may provide a resolution to the challenging fusion environment, particularly the first wall and divertor surfaces. Transforming these concepts into viable technologies will require considerable research and development. With the fusion nuclear regime in mind, the Fusion Energy System Studies group examined LM PFCs in order to identify needed research thrusts that could accelerate their development and assess their viability. Liquid metal behavior, solid substrate aspects, and fusion facility integration aspects are examined, with concepts as the research focusing element. The concepts applied to a fusion nuclear device are the primary definer of the LM parameters, environmental conditions, and operational aspects. This forms the research strategy recommended for these complex systems.