Goodbye gaseous diffusion

摘要

The enrichment services market has entered a new phase, as the transfer from gaseous diffusion to centrifuge enrichment technology is now complete with the June 2013 shut down of the Paducah GDP (PGDP). Rosatom and Urenco have cemented their market positions as the two dominant suppliers, while USEC's standing is now greatly reduced from its former market-leading days. The industry is well-equipped to add new centrifuge capacity when needed, but must first wait out the current market doldrums. With the exception of China, the prospects for new greenfield projects appear poor, as market growth is likely to be handled by expansion of existing plants. Market prices have declined steadily over the past two years and reflect limited near-term demand, highly-committed end users and excess primary supply.