NRC Regulatory Milestones for Centrus' Enrichment Operations

The regulatory landscape for domestic uranium enrichment is evolving as companies like Centrus Energy advance their high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU) capabilities. In May 2019, Centrus (ACO) signed a three-year contract with the DOE to deploy a 16-machine centrifuge cascade to demonstrate HALEU production, enriching up to 19.75% U-235 at its Piketon, Ohio facility. This critical demonstration program received formal approval from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on June 11, 2021, operating under the American Centrifuge Plant (ACP) license, designated as SNM-2011.

Managing Commercial and Legacy Licenses

Centrus currently holds an active NRC license (SNM-2011) for the American Centrifuge Plant, which boasts a capacity of 3.8 million SWU per year and an upper enrichment limit of 10% U-235 for commercial operations. The regulatory framework allows the company to operate its modern centrifuge technology safely while adhering to strict federal guidelines.

The NRC officially terminated the license (SNM-7003) for the older Lead Cascade Facility (LCF) on November 8, 2024, marking the end of an era for Centrus' legacy operations.

The LCF, which operated until 2016 and enriched uranium up to 10% U-235, was decommissioned in 2018. The termination of its license by the NRC signifies the successful completion of the decommissioning process and the regulatory closure of the site. This administrative action clears the regulatory slate, allowing Centrus to focus its resources and regulatory attention on the ACP and its future HALEU commercialization efforts.

The NRC's oversight ensures that as Centrus scales its HALEU production, all operations meet the highest standards of safety and security. The approval of the HALEU demonstration program and the closure of the LCF license highlight the NRC's active role in facilitating the modernization of the US nuclear fuel cycle while maintaining rigorous regulatory control.

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