James J. Graham

1
The Changing Life of a Simple(?) Converter
Presented by James J. Graham President Present
ed at WNA 2002 Annual Symposium London.
UK September 6, 2002
2
Historical Metropolis UF6 Material Flow
Physical
MTW
USEC
U3O8
Natural UF6
Natural UF6
Enrichment
EUP to Customers
3

• ConverDyns Newest Role
• Facilitator to the U.S.-Russian HEU agreement by
  delivering physical UF6 to overseas locations

4
North American Conversion

• USECs government-supplied UF6 inventory impacts
  only North American feed flow
• Majority of Russian feed material will primarily
  impact North American feed flow
• Change in the enrichment industry has permanently
  impacted North American feed flow

5
Conversion (Im)Balance 1992 vs 2002
NA
NA
WE
UF6 Feed Available
WE
NA
WE
UF6 Needed by Enrichers
NA
WE
1992
NA - North America WE - Western Europe
2002
Sources ConverDyn
6
Possible Flow Paths for Metropolis UF6 Today
MTW UF6
USEC physical
Eurodif physical
Urenco physical
Enricher storage acct. (book)
MTW storage acct. (book)
HEU feed
CCN physical
HEU feed
Tenex physical
HEU feed
CCN/GNSS customer swaps
Physical to Europe
7
Russian Downblended HEU Do you know where your
feed is?
Upon Delivery to USEC
Upon Sale to End User
UF6 to Russia
UF6 to CCN/GNSS to Customer
Paper Trail
UF6 to Russia
UF6 attached to EUP sold by CCN/GNSS to Customers
at USEC
UF6 attached to EUP
Physical Trail
UF6 sold by CCN/GNSS to Customers for European
enrichment physically delivered from ConverDyn
UF6 returned to Russia for downblending and
monitored stockpile physically delivered from
ConverDyn
8
Metropolis UF6 Material Flow Today
RU
EUP (SWU and UF6)
MTW
USEC
U3O8
Natural UF6
Port
EUP to Customers Combination of SWU
purchased by USEC from RU and UF6 from
ConverDyn credits
Eurodif
Russia
Urenco
9

• Transportation Concerns
• Conflicting Schedules
• Metropolis production vs enricher pickup
• Metropolis delivery vs transporter schedule
• New mandated security procedures
• Longer lead time on binding notices
• Cylinder availability - critical to Metropolis
• TS-R-1 requirements for thermal protection

10
Valve Protection
Cylinder Valve
Old-style Protector
New VPA
11
Blanket Concept for Thermal Protection
12
Future Enrichment Evolution Where, When,
Who?? Important to the Converter!!
13
Evolution of Enrichment Production 1992 to 2002
North America 1992 12.7 M SWU 2002 5.5 M SWU
Europe 1992 10.3 M SWU 2002 12.9 M SWU
Russia 1992 15 M SWU 2002 20 M SWU
1992
2002
14
Where, When, Who?

• Urenco in Europe Planned expansion in progress
• Urenco (LES) in North America Online by 2007 at
  the earliest??
• Increase in North American production or
  displacement of high cost existing production?
• USEC Potential new economic capacity will only
  displace high cost current capacity in 2010 at
  the earliest?

Will North America ever see increased capacity?
15
World SWU Supply/Demand Primary enrichers at
current rates
Million SWU
SWU Demand
Other
Tenex
USEC
Urenco
Eurodif
Russian HEU
Secondary Sources
Sources World Nuclear Association, ConverDyn
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Conversion Imbalance with Planned Enrichment
Expansion in Europe
NA
WE
WE
UF6 Feed Available
NA
NA
WE
UF6 Needed by Enrichers
NA
WE
2002
NA - North America WE - Western Europe
2007
Sources ConverDyn
Physical Transport Comes of Age
17
Potential ConverDyn Deliveries of Physical UF6
Current Production Level
New HEU Feed Delivery Pattern for ConverDyn
CVD Traditional Delivery Pattern
18
Physical UF6 Feed Supply/DemandPrimaries
Expanding to Current Sustainable Levelsby 2007
Million kgU as UF6
Physical UF6 Demand
Others
Tenex
ConverDyn
Comurhex
Cameco
BNFL
Russian HEU Feed
Secondary Sources
19
Metropolis Works Prepared for the Future
Plant re-engineering completed In early 2002
allows for rapid expansion to sustained
production levels well above current capacity

12,700 mtU/UF6
11,500 mtU/UF6
9,000 mtU/UF6
First UF6 Produced
1975
1968-69
1995
2002
1959
20
Conclusions

• Complex HEU deal needs this simple converter
• Transport of UF6 from New World to Old World will
  increase dramatically
• Available Metropolis capacity can meet projected
  shortfall

21
The Changing Life of a Busy Converter