To serve the future strong growth in the American enrichment market, AREVA is developing its activities in the United States, in particular by the creation of the Eagle Rock Enrichment Facility (EREF) factory in Idaho.
Progress report by Sam Shakir, manager of this project, to the Front End BG's Major Projects Investment Management: Sam Shakir describes the American market and AREVA's ambitions. "AREVA already supplies enrichment services to American clients. But our capacity to serve this market has been significantly affected by the restrictions on imports of European SWUs, following the Trade Case* launched by our competitor USEC. In the next few years, this market will require extra capacity, estimated at 14 million SWUs, to support economic growth. The 104 American nuclear power stations currently import 80 % of their enrichment requirements.
AREVA's project is to build a factory using centrifuge technology - which has many advantages over previous generation technologies - in the State of Idaho, therefore significantly contributing to reducing this energy dependence. With Eagle Rock (EREF – Eagle Rock Enrichment Facility) on the American territory, AREVA will once again be a first order supplier in the world's largest market. Via this factory, our object is to sell its entire nominal capacity of 3.3 million SWUs per year in the United States, i.e. 22 % of the American market".
* Trade case: administrative investigation