Status of Surplus HEU Disposition in the U.S.

The Surplus U.S. Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) Disposition Program under the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has eliminated 150 metric tons of surplus U.S. weapons-usable HEU by down-blending it to low-enriched uranium (LEU) for use in power and research reactors in the United States and abroad. Since the beginning of the HEU Disposition Program, five major down-blending projects have been used to eliminate the proliferation potential of the 150 MT of HEU. These projects include disposition through the U.S. Enrichment Corporation, Tennessee Valley Authority, the Reliable Fuel Supply, the Mixed Oxide LEU Backup Inventory project, and the Repurposed Excess Uranium project, which began in fiscal year 2016. The first three projects have been completed, and the status of the remaining two projects will be communicated in detail in the paper and presentation. With their future completion in mind, the program is looking towards future offerings. Because of the program’s success to date, the quantity of uranium readily available for new offerings is diminishing as the original surplus inventories are successfully worked off. Also, the material forms available are less attractive than the uranium metal dominant in prior down-blend projects. This is to be expected as the surplus inventory has been substantially reduced from starting levels and metal has been the most readily available and convenient material form to achieve non-proliferation objectives. In these latter down-blending projects, less desirable material forms such as oxides, compounds, and fuel elements will take up a larger percentage of the material quantity offered in the down- blend contract. These material groups will require more processing to prepare the material for down-blending than has been traditionally expected so innovative strategies will be required. The paper and presentation will update attendees with the status of the HEU down-blending program in addition to a discussion of future disposition projects and strategies.