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development program. Specifically, the Department is funding data gathering, research and development, and information transfer in the following major areas: instrumentation and electrical equipment survivability; behavior of radioactive products; data system and specimen archiving; and offsite fuel debris examination. EPRI has responsibility for research and development on mechanical and structural component reliability, pressure boundary recharacterization, and decontamination and dose reduction associated with the primary coolant system.

In FY 1985, DOE plans to complete the in situ and offsite examination of selected instrumentation and electrical components outside of the reactor vessel to ascertain their condition, cause of failure, and features that affect survivability. Data obtained will be used to upgrade qualification standards, regulatory guides, and operating and maintenance standards, in order to improve operation of nuclear plants and increase the likelihood of recovery from abnormal events. Efforts will continue on acquiring and analyzing solid, liquid, and gaseous samples to identify how various radioactive isotopes, which were released within the containment building during the accident, were transported and deposited. These data will be valuable in assessing the existing models for fission product release that are used in nuclear powerplant licensing. Efforts to prepare for the offsite fuel debris examination will be completed. The Technical Integration Office will continue its program management activities at the TMI site. The computer data bank system will continue to collect, store, and transfer the data and documentation generated by the DOE program during the GPU cleanup effort.

Uranium Enrichment Activities

The Department's funding request for the Uranium Enrichment Program in FY 1985 is approximately $1.7 billion in budget authority, which is fully offset by approximately $1.7 billion in projected revenue. The requested funds are distributed

among the major elements of the program as indicated in the following table:

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The budget for Uranium Enrichment Activities provides funding for three major program activities: (1) Power, (2) Enrichment Research and Development, and (3) Gas Centrifuge Enrichment Plant.

Power

The United States presently enriches uranium in three gaseous diffusion plants, located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Portsmouth, Ohio; and Paducah, Kentucky. In FY 1985, $883.3 million is requested to purchase power for operation of the gaseous diffusion complex. The three gaseous diffusion plants will operate at a power level of 2,790 megawatts in FY 1985 and will produce about 10.6 million SWUs. The FY 1985 power level is consistent with near-term sales of enrichment services.

In past years, DUE and its contractors have expressed concerns about operating the diffusion complex at low power levels. Experience gained with low power operating procedures during the past 3 years gives us confidence that the plants can be operated safely and reliably at 2,790 megawatts. Modifications to critical instruments have extended the measurement ranges to

permit monitoring of low power operation. The use of block valve throttling has been successful in restoring controllability without detrimental wear to the block valves. Other modifications are also being implemented to further improve cascade control at low power levels. In conjunction with these changes, DOE is attempting to achieve the lowest possible power costs at all

three GDPS.

Enrichment Research and Development

A major objective of the Uranium Enrichment Program is to retain our competitive edge in advanced technology. This will allow us to deploy lower-cost capacity when needed to meet customer demand, and thus regain our cost-competitive position.

The

FY 1985 budget request includes $150 million for enrichment research and development activities, including $72 million for gas centrifuge activities. The major portion of the funding is devoted to the Advanced Gas Centrifuge (AGC) Program for further development of the Set V centrifuge, which would provide economic and technical data in support of the FY 1985 technology decision to select either AGC or AVLIS for further development through the demonstration and deployment stage. The AGC Program goal is to develop a centrifuge with production output of up to three times the output of current-generation machines. This task is technologically challenging, but if it is successful, it can substantially enhance centrifuge plant economics.

The funding requested provides for the continuation of basic development tasks; continued operation of existing Set V test facilities; and development of materials and processes for improving centrifuge separative performance.

With the centrifuge funds appropriated in FY 1984, we are:
(1) producing and testing Set V machines and key subassemblies;
(2) initiating high-speed full-scale rotor testing for Set V
concepts; (3) establishing baseline design criteria and
preliminary designs of Set V centrifuge assemblies; and

(4) qualifying vendors for Set V rotor materials.

Results to

date on AGC have been very encouraging, and we expect to begin testing full-scale Set V machines at high speed in late 1984.

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The balance of the enrichment research and development funds
$78 million is requested for the AVLIS Program. AVLIS is
another research and development activity to develop low-cost
methods of enriching uranium. This activity is proceeding at

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an aggressive pace and is producing significant analytical and test results.

FY 1985 funds are requested primarily to develop and operate laser and separator facilities for the two key portions of an AVLIS production facility, which will explore process performance parameters and validate process models. As with the Centrifuge Program, FY 1985 activities in the AVLIS Program will be directed toward supplying the economic and technical data in support of the FY 1985 technology sequencing decision.

Major accomplishments recently achieved in the program include the installation of the Materials Handling Demonstration Module (MHDM) at Oak Ridge; the demonstration of source vaporization efficiency and rate in excess of plant requirements; the achievement of enrichment runs at baseline liquid alloy conditions; the design and operation of high-power lasers; and the operation of the High-Power Laser Facility (HPLF) for long run times.

Gas Centrifuge Enrichment Plant

The FY 1985 budget request contains $310 million for the construction of GCEP and $40 million for GCEP startup and operations. This project provides additional enrichment capacity using the centrifuge technology, which has the potential of significantly reducing future enrichment costs. The FY 1985 budget includes funds for continued construction of Process Buildings No. 1 and No. 2 but does not include funds for initiation of Process Building No. 3, because of near-term reductions in demand for enrichment services and the potential

for introduction of more advanced Set V centrifuge machines, currently under development, into the project.

The FY 1985 funding will provide primarily for engineering of the facility to accept the Set V machine, procurement (including centrifuge machines), and construction activities on Process Buildings No. 1 and No. 2, the Feed/Withdrawal Building, and the Recycle/Assembly Building. These activities have been reduced to the minimum level necessary to maintain a viable project while retaining the flexibility to make GCEP the most economical plant possible.

GCEP is making excellent progress. Process Buildings No. 1 and No. 2 are structurally complete and enclosed, with the process equipment being installed. In Process Building No. 1, installation of the service modules is nearly complete. The first centrifuge machine was installed in November 1983, approximately 2 months ahead of schedule. In early February 1984, 106 centrifuges were in place, and three had operated successfully at full speed with uranium hexafluoride gas for test purposes. major facilities, such as the Recycle/Assembly Building and the Feed/Withdrawal Building, are fully enclosed, and process piping and equipment are being installed. Many of the auxiliary buildings and utility systems have been completed and turned over to the operating contractor.

Other

In FY 1984, we expect to: (1) continue routine manufacture of centrifuge assemblies; (2) install 540 Set III centrifuges in Process Building No. 1 and have 120 centrifuges operating with uranium hexafluoride gas; and (3) continue other construction activities at a rate to achieve operation of the first train of centrifuges (720 machines) in September 1985.

All Other

The FY 1985 budget request contains $288 million for gaseous diffusion operations and support, excluding power, and $4 million for program direction. The gaseous diffusion request includes

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