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Australia’s uranium — Greenhouse friendly fuel for an energy hungry world
A case study into the strategic importance of Australia’s uranium resources for the Inquiry into developing Australia’s non-fossil fuel energy industry
Appendix H – World enrichment plants
The following table, adapted and updated from the World Nuclear Industry Handbook 2006, published by Nuclear Engineering International, lists the world’s uranium enrichment plants, their status, the technology employed, operator, nameplate capacity in separative work units (SWU) per year, annual production, year of start up of commercial operation/proposed date, and date of shutdown.
World uranium enrichment plants
Country / plant |
Status |
Process |
Operator |
Capacity
(SWU/year) |
Annual
production
(SWU) |
Start of operation /
proposed start date |
Date of shut down |
Argentina |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Pilcaniyeu (Phase 2) |
« |
Diffusion |
NASA |
100 000 |
|
|
|
Pilcaniyeu (Phase 1) |
— |
Diffusion |
NASA |
20 000 |
|
|
|
Brazil |
Sorocaba |
+ |
Centrifuge |
IPEN |
|
|
|
|
Resende 4 |
— |
Centrifuge |
INB |
115 000 |
|
2006 |
|
Resende Jet Nozzle Plant |
Ø |
Jet nozzle |
|
|
|
|
|
France |
Georges Besse Plant |
— |
Diffusion |
Eurodif |
10 800 000 |
|
1982 |
2012–13 |
Georges Besse II 3 |
« |
Centrifuge |
Areva |
7 500 000 |
|
2009 |
|
Germany |
Gronau |
— |
Centrifuge |
Urenco |
1 800 000 |
|
08/85 |
|
Iran |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Natanz |
— |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Japan |
Hyuga |
— |
Chemical |
Asahi Chemical Industry Co |
2 000 |
0 |
12/86 |
|
Ningyo-Toge (Pilot) |
— |
Centrifuge |
JAEA |
|
|
1982 |
|
Uranium Enrichment Plant (Rokkasho) |
— |
Centrifuge |
JNFL |
1 500 000 |
|
03/92 |
|
Ningyo-Toge (Demonstration) |
□ |
Centrifuge |
JAEA |
200 000 kgswu/y |
|
1989 |
|
Netherlands |
Almelo SP3 |
— |
Centrifuge |
Urenco |
100 000 |
100 000 |
01/73 |
|
Almelo SP4 |
— |
Centrifuge |
Urenco |
1 500 000 |
1 400 000 |
01/80 |
|
Almelo SP5 |
— |
Centrifuge |
Urenco |
1 000 000 |
500 000 |
05/00 |
|
Pakistan |
Kahuta 5 |
— |
Centrifuge |
PAEC |
5 000 |
|
1984 |
|
Russia |
Angarsk |
— |
Centrifuge |
Minatom |
2 000 000 |
|
1954 |
|
Ekaterinberg ( Sverdlovsk) |
— |
Centrifuge |
UEC (Minatom) |
9 000 000 |
|
1949 |
|
Krasnoyarsk-45 |
— |
Centrifuge |
EP (Minatom) |
5 000 000 |
|
1964 |
|
Tomsk 7 |
— |
Centrifuge |
SCC (Minatom) |
3 000 000 |
|
|
|
South Africa |
Valindaba (Pelindaba East) |
□ |
Helikon |
UCOR |
300 000 |
|
1982 |
|
United Kingdom |
E21 |
— |
Centrifuge |
Urenco |
1 100 000 |
1 100 000 |
11/76 |
|
USA |
Paducah, Kentucky |
— |
Diffusion |
USEC |
11 300 000 |
5 400 000 |
12/54 |
|
Portsmouth, Ohio
(Gaseous Diffusion Plant) |
□ |
Diffusion |
USEC |
7 400 000 |
6 400 000 |
11/55 |
2001 |
Oak Ridge |
□ |
Diffusion |
Exxon |
7 700 000 |
0 |
1945 |
1985 |
Eunice, New Mexico 1 |
« |
Centrifuge |
LES |
3 000 000
|
|
2008 |
|
Piketon, Ohio 2 |
« |
Centrifuge |
USEC |
3 500 000 |
|
2007 |
|
Source Nuclear Engineering International ( Wilmington Publishing), World Nuclear Industry Handbook 2006, p. 217. Updated with information provided by the Australian Uranium Association.
1 First production from the US ‘National Enrichment Facility’ at Eunice , New Mexico , is expected in 2008, with full capacity of 3 million SWU per year being reached in 2013.
2 The main centrifuge plant at Piketon Ohio , being constructed by USEC, has a planned initial capacity of 3.5 million SWU from 2011, with a license application for 7 million SWU to allow for expansion.
3 The Georges Besse II plant in France is expected to start operation in 2009, and expand to full capacity of 7.5 million SWU per year in 2018.
4 The capacity of the Resende plant in Brazil is expected to be expanded to 200 000 SWU per year.
5 The capacity of the Kahuta plant in Pakistan is expected to be expanded to approximately 150 000 SWU per year.
Status: — = operable
« = under construction
□ = shut down / decommissioned
+ = proposed
Ø = suspended |
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