The uranium reserve funding is part of USD1.3 billion requested for the DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy, which also includes USD295 million for the Versatile Test Reactor (VTR) project. The DOE’s total budget request is USD35.4 billion for the next fiscal year which begins on 1 October.
The new programme will help to “re-establish” the USA’s nuclear fuel supply chain through the domestic production and conversion of uranium, the DOE said. The Office of Nuclear Energy would begin the procurement process for the reserve in fiscal 2021. According to the budget request, the USD150 million would remain available “until expended”.
