American Centrifuge Plant HALEU demonstration cascade (16 centrifuges, 19.75 wt% U-235) (Amendment 13): NRC fuel-cycle amendment review for American Centrifuge Operating, LLC (Centrus Energy Corp.) — issued. Sourced dates and schedule.
Background: NRC reactor licensing process, explained · The ADVANCE Act, explained: what changed and where the NRC stands
Current state
| Type | Fuel-cycle amendment |
| Outcome | Issued |
| Applicant | American Centrifuge Operating, LLC (Centrus Energy Corp.) |
| Facility | American Centrifuge Plant, Piketon, Ohio |
| Docket | 70-7004 |
| Submitted | 2020-04-22 |
| Docketed (accepted for review) | — |
| NRC planned schedule | — |
| NRC target date | — |
| Final safety evaluation | — |
| Decision | 2021-06-11 |
| Review time (docketed → decision) | — |
| Submitted → decision | 13.6 mo |
| NRC-reported review duration | — |
| NRC-reported resources vs estimate | — |
Review time is measured in average months from the date the NRC docketed the application to the decision. The NRC's own reported durations may measure to the final safety evaluation instead.
Notes
Submittal date ambiguous: NRC page says submittals spanned Dec. 2019–June 2020 (first listed ADAMS ML19352G024); the EA calls the LAR "dated April 22, 2020". April 22, 2020 used. Acceptance date not found. UF6 introduction later authorized by ORR letters June 12, 2023 (Cat III) and Sept. 21, 2023 (Cat II). FR EA notice lists docket 70-7003 (the Lead Cascade docket) while SNM-2011 is docket 70-7004. Fully pre-ADVANCE Act. Licence/permit: SNM-2011.
Timeline
- 2020-04-22 — Application received: “By letters dated April 22, 2020 (ACO 2020a), May 7, 2020 (ACO 2020b), and May 25, 2021 (ACO 2021) the American Centrifuge Operating, LLC (ACO or the licensee) submitted an application to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to amend Special Nuclear Materials (SNM) License Number SNM-2011” (source)
- 2021-06-11 — Issued: “The NRC staff reviewed the application and approved the HALEU demonstration program on June 11, 2021” (source)
The timeline is append-only: corrections are added as new entries. See the NNN Data License Terms for reuse of the event history.
Also tracked
NNN coverage
About American Centrifuge Plant (Piketon)
- The 6 nuclear stories that mattered this week 2026-09-19
- Centrus and Antares sign multi-year HALEU supply contract 2026-09-18
- Cameco signs exclusive offtake for all Paducah laser-enrichment output 2026-09-14
- The 6 nuclear stories that mattered this week 2026-09-12
- Centrus to supply Radiant with HALEU for Kaleidos microreactors 2026-09-10
- HALEU, explained: the fuel advanced reactors need 2026-08-27
Related reviews
- American Centrifuge Plant continuation of HALEU operations to June 30, 2025 (Amendment 27) Issued · —
- American Centrifuge Plant increase in HALEU possession limits to produce ~1,400 kg HALEU UF6 (Amendment 24) Issued · —
- American Centrifuge Plant extension of NRC-licensed HALEU operations to end of 2024 (Amendment 20) Issued · —
- Framatome Richland authorization of TRISO fuel fabrication in the Specialty Fuels Building and enrichment increase from 6.5 to up to 10.0 wt% U-235 (Amendment 21) Issued · 11.6 mo
- Framatome Richland site-wide enrichment limit increase from 5.0 to <6.5 wt% U-235 (Amendment 20) Issued · 10.7 mo
- American Centrifuge Plant Phase III HALEU operations for up to 9 years (to June 30, 2034) with possession limit increase (Amendment 29) Issued · 4.5 mo
- National Enrichment Facility amendment applying the <10 wt% LEU+ limit to recycling and support systems (LAR-24-01, Amendment 110) Issued · 8.1 mo
- National Enrichment Facility amendment raising enrichment limit from 5.5 to <10 wt% U-235 (LEU+) for production systems (LAR-23-02, Amendment 105) Issued · 9.4 mo
See all 75 reviews in the NRC Licensing Review Tracker →
Sources
- https://www.nrc.gov/facilities-safety/fuel-cycle-facilities/new-fuel-cycle-facility-licensing/gas-centrifuge-enrichment-facility-licensing/centrus-energy-corpamerican-centrifuge-operating-llc-formerly-usec-inc-gas-centrifuge-enrichme
- https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML2108/ML21085A705.pdf
- https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/06/14/2021-12356/american-centrifuge-operating-llc-american-centrifuge-plant
- https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/04/22/2024-08480/american-centrifuge-operating-llc-completion-of-operational-readiness-reviews