Over the past decade, the National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) Surplus U.S. Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU) Disposition Program has eliminated 123 metric tons of surplus U.S. weapons-usable HEU by down-blending it to low-enriched uranium (LEU) for use in power and research reactors in the United States and abroad. Several major projects are complete or nearing completion to down-blend HEU for commercial power reactors. Throughout the last two decades, four major down-blending projects have been used to eliminate the non-proliferation potential of the 123 MT of HEU. These projects include disposition through the U.S. Enrichment Corporation, Tennessee Valley Authority, the Reliable Fuel Supply and the Mixed Oxide LEU Backup Inventory projects. The latter two are still proceeding towards their down-blending objectives with their current status provided in this paper. With their future completion in mind, the program is looking towards future offerings. By the program's success to date, the quantity of uranium readily available for new offerings is diminishing as the original surplus inventories are successfully worked off. Also, the material forms available are less attractive than the uranium metal dominant in prior down-blend projects. This is to be expected as the surplus inventory has been substantially reduced from starting levels and metal has been the most readily available and convenient material form to achieve non-proliferation objectives. With future offerings, other material forms will take up a larger percentage of the material quantity offered such as oxides and compounds. The addition of Low Enriched Uranium that could be added to the down-blend mix is also being contemplated. This paper will discuss the framework being considered for the next down-blend offering.
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