Energy Department working with Piketon developer
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The Department of Energy has announced it plans to work with the developer of the Piketon uranium enrichment project on research and development.
The DOE's announcement could help reduce the problems that have held up the developer's application for a $2 billion loan.
The loan guarantee application from USEC Inc. is still pending.
"The government and the Bethesda, Md. -based developer of the planned American Centrifuge Plant in Piketon have agreed on a potential project that would involve testing and building clusters of machines used to enrich uranium, Richard Kauffman, senior adviser to the Energy secretary said," according to The Associated Press.
U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, issued the following response to the ongoing discussions between the Department of Energy and the American Centrifuge Project’s (ACP) strategic partners:
"While these ongoing discussions between the DOE and USEC appear positive, I continue to encourage the Obama Administration, as recently as today, to approve the conditional loan for ACP.
"The workers supporting this important national security and energy security project deserve certainty after waiting for more than three years for a final decision. I am committed to working constructively with the Administration, USEC and workers in Piketon to find a path forward.”
Portman has requested a meeting next week with DOE Secretary Steven Chu.
The plant to be built in Piketon would be at the site of the former gaseous diffusion plant that enriched uranium. It would produce enriched uranium for use in generating electricity at nuclear power plants.[[In-content Ad]]
The DOE's announcement could help reduce the problems that have held up the developer's application for a $2 billion loan.
The loan guarantee application from USEC Inc. is still pending.
"The government and the Bethesda, Md. -based developer of the planned American Centrifuge Plant in Piketon have agreed on a potential project that would involve testing and building clusters of machines used to enrich uranium, Richard Kauffman, senior adviser to the Energy secretary said," according to The Associated Press.
U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, issued the following response to the ongoing discussions between the Department of Energy and the American Centrifuge Project’s (ACP) strategic partners:
"While these ongoing discussions between the DOE and USEC appear positive, I continue to encourage the Obama Administration, as recently as today, to approve the conditional loan for ACP.
"The workers supporting this important national security and energy security project deserve certainty after waiting for more than three years for a final decision. I am committed to working constructively with the Administration, USEC and workers in Piketon to find a path forward.”
Portman has requested a meeting next week with DOE Secretary Steven Chu.
The plant to be built in Piketon would be at the site of the former gaseous diffusion plant that enriched uranium. It would produce enriched uranium for use in generating electricity at nuclear power plants.[[In-content Ad]]