A -- URANIUM-233 PROCESSING FOR RECYCLE/REUSE

Notice Date

February 20, 2001

Contracting Office

U.S. Department Of Energy, Idaho Operations Office, 850 Energy Drive -- MS1221, Idaho Falls, ID 83401-1563

ZIP Code

83401-1563

Solicitation Number

DE-PS07-01ID14038

Response Due

April 9, 2001

Point of Contact

11. Contact Contract Specialist Kara Twitchell 208/526-4958, Contracting Officer, Dallas Hoffer 208/526-0014

E-Mail Address

twitchkl@id.doe.gov (fontanrv@id.doe.gov)

Description

The U. S. Department of Energy (DOE) Idaho Operations Office (ID) is seeking Research and Development Sources Sought in cost-shared research and development of technologies for processing for reuse/recycle of the Uranium-233 (233U), Thorium, and decay daughters of 233U stored at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). (U233 is a fissile nuclear material subject to DOE safeguards and security controls. Access to such materials is restricted.) DOE-ID is presently conducting a trade study of potential beneficial uses of 233U and its daughter products. To augment that study DOE-ID is soliciting comments on the desirability, feasibility, estimated demand, timing of such demand, and estimated quantities required for all potential uses of 233U. DOE is also soliciting expressions of interest in any of these potential uses in the public and private sector. A copy of the draft trade study plan is available upon request from Ronald Fontana, 850 Energy Drive, Mail Stop 1235, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83401-1563 or electronically at fontanrv@id.doe.gov. As an example of a potential beneficial use, the Department has a history of supplying isotopes extracted from the 233U inventory for use in medical applications, including cancer therapy research. As one of the options, INEEL is considering separating the existing inventory of 233UO2/ThO2 and storing (for other future beneficial uses) or disposing of the 233U material while making the separated Thorium product available to industry for extraction of useful isotopes. DOE is specifically soliciting public and private sector responses concerning interest in the processing of 233U daughter isotopes after separation of the U and Thorium at INEEL. Processing of 233U or daughter products in INEEL facilities would require a contractor to be responsible for facility operations associated with the processing including: surveillance and maintenance; inventory inspection, characterization, processing, security, packaging/repackaging as necessary to ensure safe interim storage, and to ultimately prepare residual material for disposition, processing, or long-term storage. The contractor may also be responsible under this option for transportation of the inventory to the designated disposition location. Any proposed options for beneficial use of the material may therefore be incorporated in any resulting contract if they are in the best interest of the government. The Department encourages use of underutilized facilities at the INEEL to establish private enterprises for beneficial use of the 233U that would further DOE reindustrialization objectives. Award of any contract will depend on the results of the above-mentioned study, the responses to this EOI, availability of funds and completion of the required National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documentation. If your organization/company is interested in beneficial use of the 233U or its daughter decay products, please respond by answering the following questions: (1) Are you interested in utilizing the INEEL 233U or 233U decay products? (2) If you answered yes to question #1, please provide: (a) a summary of the proposed beneficial use that includes: materials of interest, required quantities and level of purity of the desired material, proposed approach for acquiring the material, proposed schedule for utilization of materials of interest, and expected benefits to the government and/or facilities of interest. (b) Relative to capabilities and plans, (1) What is your company's experience in handling and processing fissile nuclear materials, particularly 233U? (2) Would you need to team with other companies to perform this project, if so, which companies would be in your team? (3) What is the history of your company or team companies (when was it established, where is it located, primary business lines, primary customers, etc?) (4) What is the size of your company or team companies (gross annual revenues, number of employees, etc)? (5) Do you have the necessary licenses and permits for processing of 233U; its decay products and/or DOE underutilized facilities under a private commercial enterprise? If not, what are your plans to obtain such licenses? The information requested herein will be used for planning purposes only. This is not a request for proposals. Any resulting solicitation will be published in the Commerce Business Daily at a future date. The resulting solicitation may be a prime contract with the DOE or a subcontract with one of the DOE prime contractors in Idaho. Companies interested in bidding in any resulting solicitation must be able to receive a favorable Foreign Ownership and Control Influence (FOCI) determination. Interested parties are encouraged to submit technical questions, comments, and written responses to Ronald Fontana, 850 Energy Drive, Mail Stop 1235, Idaho Falls, Idaho, 83401-1563 or electronically to fontanrv@id.doe.gov. Comments, questions, and responses should be 20 one-sided pages or less and must be received by April 9, 2001. All comments will be considered. The identity of the firm and/or individual will be kept confidential. Written responses to comments will not be given. BACKGROUND INFORMATION: DOE recently completed an "Integrated Nuclear Materials Management Plan (INMMP)" specifying that the DOE inventory of 233U is excess to national security needs. The INMMP also describes a process that will guide a Departmental assessment as to whether this excess material is a national resource that should be maintained or is surplus and should be slated for disposal. As part of this process the INEEL has undertaken a study of the potential beneficial uses and potential path forward for its inventory of 233U. The INEEL inventory consists of approximately 350Kg of 233U oxide mixed with 232Th oxide. Most of this material was originally prepared as part of the Light Water Breeder Reactor program and has been in storage at INEEL for approximately 20 years. The physical form of the LWBR material is primarily sintered fuel pellet stored in zircaloy rods. A portion is also in the form of damaged or fractured pellets not usable as fuel but otherwise similar. A small portion is in the form of UO2/ZrO2 rods and metallurgical mounts. Also, a byproduct of the decay of 233U, is 229Th which has a long approximately 7,300 year half life and decays eventually to 225 Ac and then to 213Bi. It is the 213Bi, which is specifically the object of clinical trials in the treatment of cancer and may be of interest to the medical community and therefore may represent an identified potential commercial opportunity. Separation of the 233U and Thorium will result in an inventory of essentially pure 233U and an inventory of Thorium containing the 229Th as well as all of the other daughter isotopes of uranium. The existing 233UO2/ThO2 material contains other nuclides due to radioactive decay including Thorium-229, Radium-225, Actinium-225 and Bismuth-213. Uranium-232 decay products such as Thorium-228, Bismuth-212, and Thallium-208 are also present. As part of the above mentioned study, INEEL is developing a patented process for this inventory which will be described to interested parties once it is fully developed and laboratory validated.*****

Web Link

http://www.id.doe.gov/doeid/psd/proc-div.html (http://www.id.doe.gov/doeid/psd/proc-div.html)

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010222/ASOL011.HTM (W-051 SN50E178)