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The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has finalized a cooperative agreement to enable USEC Inc. to conduct research and development on gas centrifuge technology at DOE's Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The department will oversee the one-year, $4 million project, to be funded by USEC.

"This agreement allows USEC to make use of the Energy Department's unique facilities and the expertise of its Oak Ridge National Laboratory, at no cost to the taxpayer," said William D. Magwood IV, director of DOE's Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology. "However, under this arrangement, the public will benefit from any advances to the technology made by USEC."

USEC will begin developing a new centrifuge design for uranium enrichment that builds on past efforts by the department while incorporating key technological advancements and cost reductions. Gas centrifuge technology requires only a fraction of the power needed for the gaseous diffusion technology currently used in the United States.

Research will be conducted in three key areas:

• Perform design of centrifuge components;
• Refurbishment and restart of facilities to manufacture, assemble and test components; and
• Project planning and assessment.

Under an agreement between USEC and the University of Tennessee/Battelle, ORNL will be the project's lead laboratory. In July 1999, the department authorized USEC to evaluate the potential of gas centrifuge technology.

- DOE -

R-00-236