American Fuel Resources requests license for N.M. uranium deconversion plant

The application specifically requests NRC approval for the transfer of Materials License Sub-1011 for the uranium deconversion project from International Isotopes’ subsidiary International Isotopes Fluorine Products to American Fuel Resources’ subsidiary Green Salt Products.

License issued in 2012: The 40-year license for the project, which International Isotopes called the Fluorine Extraction Process and Depleted Uranium Deconversion Plant, was issued to Fluorine Products in October 2012. The plant was to convert DUF6 into fluoride products for commercial resale (the deconversion process) and into uranium oxides for disposal. The facility was expected to process as much as 11 million pounds of DUF6 per year. However, no construction activities were carried out after the license approval.

America’s deconversion capacity: According to American Fuel Resources, its application for the license transfer “marks a key milestone in AFR’s mission to expand America’s DUF6 deconversion capacity. Upon NRC approval and financial close, GSP will assume full operational, regulatory, and safety responsibilities under the license.” Through Green Salt Products, American Fuel Resources intends to use the New Mexico site to convert DUF6 into depleted uranium tetrafluoride (DUF4) and high-purity fluorine, “unlocking reliable domestic supply for nuclear conversion and strategic materials.”

Strategic importance: Virginia Davies, American Fuel Resources’ chief financial officer, said, “With proven technology, top-tier partners, and an experienced team, we’re advancing an asset that offers infrastructure-like durability and strategic importance to the U.S. nuclear fuel cycle.”