Orano

"So, what's the plan?" 👀

In this video clip, Senator Mark Kelly posed that question to the NRC leadership seated before him after detailing how the current American nuclear fuel supply "is in a precarious place."

- building more reactors does not get us anywhere without the fuel to operate them

- more than 80% of America's enriched uranium is supplied from overseas

- notably 20% of the enriched comes from Russia, "clearly that's a problem"

In their responses, Commissioner Douglas Weaver noted the DOE funding for multiple types of uranium enrichment production.

⚛️ Orano was the sole company selected for the DOE award to establish a robust domestic low-enriched uranium supply.

NRC Chairman Ho Nieh highlighted Orano's license application now under staff acceptance review for Project IKE, a large enrichment facility development in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

He then laid out how the NRC "is going to be an enabling regulator" using an intentional, timely thought process to ensure the license meets NRC regulatory requirements.

- Orano has an enrichment facility in operation today in France

- The same exact technology is planned for the Project IKE facility

- Project IKE builds on a technology we had in the U.S. a few decades ago, the Eagle Rock enrichment facility license

- NRC staff is looking into how to leverage this prior licensing experience

- Validate and complete the license application review as soon as possible so Orano can start building

👉 NRC Chairman Nieh: "Because I agree 100% with you. This is a huge gap. It is national security for the United States, and NRC will do its part by not being an impediment to getting the fuel cycle up and running on the front end."

Watch 👇 and then learn more about how Orano's can help re-establish a robust and secure American nuclear fuel supply: https://www.orano.group/usa/project-ike-enrichment

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission - NRC
City of Oak Ridge Government