Regulators appear poised to approve construction of the world’s first facility that would use laser technology to enrich uranium.
On Wednesday, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced it issued the final safety evaluation report and environmental impact statement for the proposed GE-Hitachi Global Laser Enrichment LLC plant at GEH’s Global Nuclear Fuel-America’s existing works in Wilmington, N.C. The agency found the new plant would not pose an undue risk to public health and that its construction would have only small to moderate impacts on the local environment. The decisions indicate the plant is well on its way to acquiring a license. One of the last steps will be a hearing before the Atomic Safety and Licensing Board this summer.
Global Laser Enrichment LLC, which counts Cameco as a minority partner, acquired the rights to the laser technology from Australia-based Silex Systems in 2006. The process, expected to be an order of magnitude more efficient than traditional enrichment technologies, uses lasers to selectively excite uranium 235.
In a press release announcing the NRC license application in 2009, GEH said the plant would have a target capacity of 3 million to 6 million SWU, if the companies chose to go forward with the project.