Expression of Interest - Commercial Extraction of Nickel from Radiologically Contaminated Nickel Ingots

DOE is seeking industry input for operationally mature technologies that could support the potential recovery and reuse of approximately 9,700 tons of radiologically contaminated nickel removed from uranium enrichment equipment, smelted and cast into approximately 1-ton ingots located at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Paducah, Kentucky. The information gathered from this EOI will be used to determine whether it is in DOE’s best interest to have industry selectively extract the elemental (pure) nickel from the nickel ingots, leaving behind any impurities or radiological contaminants, to produce a high purity nickel product that may be released for use in commerce in accordance with the requirements of DOE Order 458.1, Radiation Protection of the Public and the Environment (www.directives.gov). Attachment 1 provides historical information and physical characteristics of the nickel. Attachment 2 provides a summary of available characterization data obtained from sampling of the nickel material. The primary radiological contaminants of concern include uranium, technetium and other actinides. The reuse of the extracted nickel can be used to support the National Energy framework (e.g., grid-scale batteries, nuclear power industry) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) initiatives, consistent with recent Executive Orders (EO), including the EOs for Immediate Measures to Increase American Mineral Production and Unleashing American Energy.

This EOI is only applicable to the nickel ingots stored at the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, which are volumetrically contaminated as a result of smelting surface contaminated nickel components used to enrich uranium hexafluoride gas. This material is subject to the authorized release limits in DOE Order 458.1. The nickel ingots are unclassified.

The information gathered as part of this EOI may also be used in the future to develop an acquisition strategy for commercial (large) scale processing of the nickel ingots to remove the contamination and support DOE preferred initiatives.