DOE opens funding opportunity for HALEU transport packages

The Department of Energy announced November 19 that up to $16 million is available through a new High-Assay Low-Enrichment Transportation Package funding opportunity to research, develop, and acquire Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing for transportation of HALEU-using new or modified packages.

"Transportation is the key link connecting all parts of our domestic HALEU supply chain," said Mike Goff, the DOE's acting assistant secretary for nuclear energy. "DOE is actively assessing industry needs and is committed to developing highly efficient and cost-effective methods for HALEU transportation."

Two topics: According to the DOE, there is currently no NRC-licensed transportation method suitable for HALEU. Existing high-enriched uranium casks only allow for small shipments, drastically increasing transportation costs.

The DOE has identified two topics areas for application to support both existing and "fundamentally new" package designs for HALEU.

Topic area 1 will cover applications for NRC certification of new package design concepts. These concepts will "likely require sufficient award duration and funding to achieve cost-competitive, economically viable transportation packages." The FOA would give these concepts a performance period of up to three years.

Topic area 2 will cover applications for NRC certification for modifications of existing design packages; concepts that are "further along in the development and require less time and costs associated with achieving NRC certificate of compliance (CoC)." These concepts would get a performance period of up to two years.

Applications: Applications are due by 5:00 p.m. (EST) on January 21, 2025-the day after inauguration day.

Under the HALEU Availability Program, the DOE has already awarded contracts to four companies that can compete for future HALEU enrichment task orders and six companies that can compete for future deconversion task orders.