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Supplying enriched uranium

AUG 01, 1973
Unless government and industry can move together quickly to construct modern enrichment plants, US utilities face a shortage of enriched uranium fuel.

DOI: 10.1063/1.3128180

Vincent V. Abajian
Alan M. Fishman

Among the problems that must be solved before nuclear power can finally become a mature industry providing a major fraction of the nation’s electric power, perhaps the least publicized is the problem of making sure there will be enough enriched uranium to fuel the rapidly growing numbers of nuclear power plants. Currently there are 29 nuclear plants generating 15 000 megawatts, or less than 5% of the nation’s total capacity; by 1990, the AEC predicts that the nuclear plant capacity will have grown by more than a factor of 40 and will be roughly half of the total national capacity. Unfortunately, no plans have been made for a parallel expansion in the country’s uranium‐enrichment facilities that must supply the fuel for all these new plants.

References

  1. 1. “Nuclear Power 1973–2000,” U.S. AECT, Wash‐1139 (1972).

  2. 2. “Uranium Enrichment,” Atomic Industrial Forum (1972).

  3. 3. J. E. Gray, “The Current Status of Uranium Enrichment Planning,” Nuclex 72 Technical Meetings Colloquium on Uranium Enrichment Technology (October 1972).

  4. 4. “AEC Gaseous Diffusion Plant Operation,” ORO‐684, January 1972.

  5. 5. G. Zippe, “The Development of Short Bowl Ultracentrifuges,” Research Laboratories for the Engineering Sciences, University of Virginia, 15 June 1960.

  6. 6. F. P. Baranowski, testimony before the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy, 21 February 1973.

  7. 7. “AEC to Permit Access to Enrichment Technology,” News Release, AEC, 21 June 1971.

  8. 8. R. Schlesinger, statement at hearing of the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy for FY 1973 authorization of nuclear fuel supply,” 7–8 March 1972.

More about the Authors

Vincent V. Abajian. Board of Electro‐Nucleonics, Inc., Fairfield, N.J..

Alan M. Fishman. Assistant to the Chairman.

This Content Appeared In
pt-cover_1973_08.jpeg

Volume 26, Number 8

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