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Portsmouth Picked for Depleted Uraniuim Hexafluoride Conversion Plant
WASHINGTON -- Portsmouth, Ohio, is one of two locations at which the U.S. Department of Energy will build and operate a Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride (DUF6) Conversion Plant. The second plant will be built in Paducah, Ky.Ground-breaking at the Portsmouth plant will be held July 28.The conversion plants will convert depleted uranium hexafluoride to more stable chemical forms that will reduce risk at these sites. Currently, DUF6 is stored on-site at Paducah, Ohio; Portsmouth, Ky.; and Oak Ridge, Tenn. The Oak Ridge DUF6 inventory is currently being moved to the Portsmouth facility for conversion.A facility will be constructed at each of the gaseous diffusion plants to convert DUF6 to uranium oxide, the most stable form of uranium, and to permit recycling of aqueous hydrogen fluoride produced as a conversion co-product.The facilities will operate using the conversion technology of Uranium Disposition Services LLCthe contractor selected to construct and initially operate the facilities for the first five years. The Portsmouth facility will operate for about 18 years and planned operations at the Paducah facility are expected to take about 25 years."