DOE Awards $16M for GNEP Studies

August 8, 2007 // Published as a news service by IHS

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Four consortia were selected to receive up to $16 million for technical and supporting studies to support the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (GNEP).

AREVA Federal Services LLC, EnergySolutions LLC, GE-Hitachi Nuclear Americas LLC and General Atomics will each lead teams in developing the cost, scope and schedule for conceptual design studies for an initial fuel recycling center and advanced recycling reactor for the GNEP.

The DOE will negotiate the final terms, under cooperative agreements, with the selected applicants and awards are expected to be finalized by the end of September 2007.

"GNEP seeks to increase the use of safe and clean nuclear energy worldwide in ways that reduces both the proliferation risks as well as nuclear waste," said Assistant Secretary of Nuclear Energy Dennis R. Spurgeon.

The DOE will use the information and recommendations provided by the teams, as well as other data and analyses, to evaluate the development and deployment of GNEP activities and to inform decision making on the path forward for the GNEP.

The announcement is part of $60 million in funding opportunities to engage industry experts in conceptual design of proposed GNEP facilities. The $60 million in funding opportunities will be made available through September 2009 subject to Congressional appropriations.

The funding opportunity announcement (FOA) sought applications from commercial entities interested in providing technology development roadmaps, business plans and a communications strategy supporting the GNEP conceptual design studies for the nuclear fuel recycling center and advanced recycling reactor.

The technology development roadmaps will describe the state of the current technology, perform a technology "gap" analysis and define the methods and plans to acquire technology needed to achieve the GNEP goals.

The business plans will address how the market may facilitate DOE plans to develop and commercialize the advanced fuel cycle technologies and facilities. The communications plans will focus on the dissemination of scientific, technical and practical information relating to nuclear energy and closing the nuclear fuel cycle.

The GNEP is part of President Bush's Advanced Energy Initiative and seeks to enable the expanded use of economical, carbon-free nuclear energy worldwide to meet growing electricity demand. The GNEP seeks to close the nuclear fuel cycle in ways that reduce proliferation risks, reduce waste and further increase global energy security, according to the DOE.

Source: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).