Representative Wenstrup visits Piketon facility
Second District Congressman Brad Wenstrup met with USEC (United States Enrichment Corporation) officials and employees at the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Piketon Friday in order to receive an update on the progress of the Research, Development, and Demonstration (RD&D) program.
While visiting the facility, Rep. Wenstrup expressed his continued support for the program and thanked the employees for their work to support America’s energy independence.
The Department of Energy and USEC are executing the $350 million cooperative program to confirm the readiness of the American Centrifuge technology, the next-generation U.S. uranium enrichment capabilities.
“The American Centrifuge Project in Piketon, Ohio is imperative to providing for our energy security needs, and is critical for our national security. I appreciate the work and strong support of my colleagues in the Ohio delegation, including Rep. Bill Johnson on this project. I will continue to work with Congress and the administration to support the completion of the RD&D program,” said Rep. Wenstrup.
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“We were honored to host Congressman Wenstrup and provide him with a project update and a personal tour of our recently completed commercial demonstration cascade,” said Dan Rogers, General Manager, American Centrifuge operations.
“We appreciate the congressman’s support of American Centrifuge, and we look forward to partnering with him and the rest of the Ohio delegation to make this project successful.”
The Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant began operations in 1954 as part of a U.S. government expansion program for the production of highly enriched uranium to fuel military reactors and nuclear weapons production.
Later, the Piketon plant, along with its sister enrichment plant in Paducah, Ky., took on a different mission: The production of low-enriched uranium to fuel commercial nuclear power plants around the world. Both plants are owned by the U.S. Department of Energy.
In May 2001, USEC ceased uranium enrichment operations in Piketon and consolidated operations in Paducah. The following year, transfer and shipping operations were also consolidated at Paducah. USEC de-leased the Piketon plant back to DOE in September 2011.
Today, the Piketon site is hosting USEC's American Centrifuge Demonstration Facility and construction has begun on the future American Centrifuge Plant.
American Centrifuge is USEC's next-generation uranium enrichment technology.