skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Uranium enrichment

Abstract

This paper reports that in 1990 the Department of Energy began a two-year project to illustrate the technical and economic feasibility of a new uranium enrichment technology-the atomic vapor laser isotope separation (AVLIS) process. GAO believes that completing the AVLIS demonstration project will provide valuable information about the technical viability and cost of building an AVLIS plant and will keep future plant construction options open. However, Congress should be aware that DOE still needs to adequately demonstrate AVLIS with full-scale equipment and develop convincing cost projects. Program activities, such as the plant-licensing process, that must be completed before a plant is built, could take many years. Further, an updated and expanded uranium enrichment analysis will be needed before any decision is made about building an AVLIS plant. GAO, which has long supported legislation that would restructure DOE's uranium enrichment program as a government corporation, encourages DOE's goal of transferring AVLIS to the corporation. This could reduce the government's financial risk and help ensure that the decision to build an AVLIS plant is based on commercial concerns. DOE, however, has no alternative plans should the government corporation not be formed. Further, by curtailing a planned public access program, which would havemore » given private firms an opportunity to learn about the technology during the demonstration project, DOE may limit its ability to transfer AVLIS to the private sector.« less

Publication Date:
Research Org.:
General Accounting Office, Washington, DC (United States). Resources, Community and Economic Development Div.
OSTI Identifier:
5783294
Report Number(s):
GAO/RCED-91-88
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS; 29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY AND ECONOMY; ENRICHED URANIUM; ECONOMIC ANALYSIS; ISOTOPE SEPARATION PLANTS; CONSTRUCTION; URANIUM ISOTOPES; LASER ISOTOPE SEPARATION; US DOE; PLANNING; COST; GOVERNMENT POLICIES; LEGISLATION; METAL VAPOR LASERS; ORE ENRICHMENT; URANIUM ORES; ACTINIDE ISOTOPES; ACTINIDES; ECONOMICS; ELEMENTS; ENRICHMENT; GAS LASERS; INDUSTRIAL PLANTS; ISOTOPE ENRICHED MATERIALS; ISOTOPE SEPARATION; ISOTOPES; LASERS; MATERIALS; METALS; NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS; NUCLEAR FACILITIES; ORE PROCESSING; ORES; PROCESSING; SEPARATION PROCESSES; URANIUM; US ORGANIZATIONS; 050500* - Nuclear Fuels- Uranium Enrichment; 056000 - Nuclear Fuels- Legislation & Regulations- (1987-); 051000 - Nuclear Fuels- Economic, Industrial, & Business Aspects; 290400 - Energy Planning & Policy- Energy Resources

Citation Formats

. Uranium enrichment. United States: N. p., 1991. Web.
. Uranium enrichment. United States.
. 1991. "Uranium enrichment". United States.
@article{osti_5783294,
title = {Uranium enrichment},
author = {},
abstractNote = {This paper reports that in 1990 the Department of Energy began a two-year project to illustrate the technical and economic feasibility of a new uranium enrichment technology-the atomic vapor laser isotope separation (AVLIS) process. GAO believes that completing the AVLIS demonstration project will provide valuable information about the technical viability and cost of building an AVLIS plant and will keep future plant construction options open. However, Congress should be aware that DOE still needs to adequately demonstrate AVLIS with full-scale equipment and develop convincing cost projects. Program activities, such as the plant-licensing process, that must be completed before a plant is built, could take many years. Further, an updated and expanded uranium enrichment analysis will be needed before any decision is made about building an AVLIS plant. GAO, which has long supported legislation that would restructure DOE's uranium enrichment program as a government corporation, encourages DOE's goal of transferring AVLIS to the corporation. This could reduce the government's financial risk and help ensure that the decision to build an AVLIS plant is based on commercial concerns. DOE, however, has no alternative plans should the government corporation not be formed. Further, by curtailing a planned public access program, which would have given private firms an opportunity to learn about the technology during the demonstration project, DOE may limit its ability to transfer AVLIS to the private sector.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/5783294}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1991},
month = {Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 EDT 1991}
}

Technical Report:
Other availability
Please see Document Availability for additional information on obtaining the full-text document. Library patrons may search WorldCat to identify libraries that may hold this item. Keep in mind that many technical reports are not cataloged in WorldCat.

Save / Share: