Supply of U.S. HEU to Europe for Mo-99 production continues

U.S. Department of Energy requested an export license (XSNM3810) (original application) to ship 4.772 kg of HEU to Europe. The material will be used to manufacture targets used in production of Mo-99.

The license application seeks approval of export of "4.455 kg uranium-235 contained in maximum of 4.772 kg uranium, enriched to maximum of 93.35%, in the form of unalloyed broken metal." The material will be shipped to a Framatome facility in France that will manufacture the targets, which will be irradiated in BR-2 reactor in Belgium, HFR reactor in the Netherlands, LVR-15 reactor in Czech Republic, and Maria reactor in Poland. Institute for Radioelements (IRE) in Belgium, where the targets will be reprocessed, is listed as the ultimate destination of the material. Previous license of this kind, XSNM3795 for 4.97 kg of HEU, was requested in August 2018 and granted in October 2018.

UPDATE: The license XSNM3810 was issued on 13 April 2020. It contains the following condition:

The licensee is authorized to proceed with an initial shipment of 2.000 kilograms of uranium enriched to 93.35 WGT % maximum, containing up to 1.867 kilograms of uranium-235 in the form of unalloyed broken metal. The licensee will determine quantities and timing of subsequent shipments by monitoring the progress of the ultimate consignee's efforts to convert to low enriched uranium coupled with associated analyses of the demand for and supply of medical isotopes.