Regulacje i polityka gospodarcza · 13/12/1995

Request for Expressions of Interest for Tritium Production

Tritium is an essential material in all nuclear weapons in the U.S. nuclear stockpile. Because the U.S. is not currently producing tritium, development of a new tritium supply will be essential for maintaining the U.S. nuclear deterrent. The Department of Energy's preferred strategy for acquiring new supplies of tritium is to pursue the two most promising production alternatives: (1) use of one or more existing Commercial Light Water Reactors (CLWRs); and (2) to design, build and test critical components of an Accelerator-Produced Tritium (APT) system to be used for tritium production. By this Notice, DOE is requesting expressions of interest concerning DOE's possible acquisition of one or more CLWRs, or acquisition of irradiation services from CLWRs, for the production of tritium. In addition, this request will solicit interest regarding the future potential use of mixed oxide fuel from surplus weapons plutonium either coincident with or separate from tritium production. The use of mixed oxide fuel is not part of DOE's preferred strategy for acquiring new supplies of tritium and no firm decisions have been made regarding the use of such fuel. Nevertheless, DOE is seeking to ascert