HALEU reguli fabricated from downblended high-enriched uranium recovered from legacy EBR-II fuel at Idaho National Laboratory. (Photo: DOE)
Five companies are the recipients of Department of Energy awards to support the development, modification, and licensing of transportation packages for high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel. HALEU, which is enriched between 5 percent and 20 percent, is the type of fuel required for the operation of many of the small advanced nuclear reactors that are being designed and developed by U.S. companies.
These gas centrifuges operated in the Piketon facility from 2013 to 2016 as part of a 120-machine low-enriched uranium demonstration cascade. (Photo: Centrus Energy)
Centrus Energy confirmed on December 1 that its wholly owned subsidiary American Centrifuge Operating signed a contract with the Department of Energy, which was first announced on November 10, to complete and operate a demo-scale high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) gaseous centrifuge cascade.