Demonstration of Defense Used Nuclear Fuel Recycling - Request for Application

The Department of Energy (DOE) is issuing a Request for Application (RFA) to solicit proposals for a long-term lease of property at their Office of Environmental Management (EM) cleanup site in Idaho. The purpose is to conduct a large-scale demonstration of the commercial viability of recycling defense-related used nuclear fuel (UNF) currently stored at the site. This initiative supports Executive Order 14302, which calls for advancing the nuclear industrial base and managing defense-related used nuclear fuel. The demonstration is expected to involve prototypical equipment and cover UNF handling, recycling, product separation, and waste management. Applicants are responsible for all project costs and must demonstrate a strong understanding of nuclear fuel recycling. DOE anticipates making land available for a new, dedicated facility. The demonstration will utilize UNF from the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) and potentially other defense-related UNF. Teaming is encouraged, but non-U.S. company involvement must be clearly defined due to national security concerns. All personnel working on the project must be capable of obtaining requisite security clearances. The agreement instrument is expected to be an Other Transaction Authority (OTA) or an Atomic Energy Act lease. Evaluation criteria include the scale of the demonstration, business plan, security plan, regulatory pathway, and proposed DOE gate review points. Applicants must be organized under U.S. laws with majority domestic ownership and control.