USEC said 31 October that advanced discussions continue with the Department of Energy regarding the future of the American Centrifuge project.

DOE and USEC have been in discussions to work together through a Research, Development and Demonstration (RD&D) programme to further reduce technical project execution and financial risks for commercializing the technology. According to USEC the programme is expected to involve manufacturing and operating additional production-design machines so that key systems can be tested as they would actually operate at the scale necessary for full commercialization.

Meanwhile, USEC’s strategic investors Babcock & Wilcox Investment Company and Toshiba Corporation have agreed in principle to further extend a standstill agreement related to their investment agreement through 15 January 2012, if USEC and DOE reach agreement on the framework for a RD&D programme.


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