KYIV. July 3 (Interfax-Ukraine) – ConverDyn, an American company, is contemplating the potential for setting up a joint uranium hexafluoride production facility in Ukraine.
The likelihood of such cooperation was discussed between the U.S. company’s representatives and the top managers of Nuclear Fuel state concern in Kyiv in late June, the Ukrainian concern said in a press release.
Today ConverDyn is keen on cooperation with Ukrainian companies in providing uranium-conversion services to the Ukrainian energy sector.
“The business meeting resulted in an agreement to continue working on possible areas of cooperation between ConverDyn and the concern on the basis of the needs of the Ukrainian nuclear industry,” the statement reads.
Uranium hexafluoride is a necessary link in the production chain prior to uranium enrichment.
Ukraine’s state company VostGOK (based in Dnipropetrovsk region) increased its 2013 output of natural uranium concentrate by 0.4% (3.4 tonnes) to 925.7 tonnes in 2014.
ConverDyn specializes in providing uranium hexafluoride (conversion) services. ConverDyn is owned 50/50 by General Atomics and Honeywell.
Ukraine set up Nuclear Fuel state concern with the aim of organizing certain elements of the nuclear-fuel cycle, such as production of propellants for nuclear power plants and fuel assembly.
Nuclear Fuel consists of four state companies: Eastern Mining and Processing Complex (VostGOK), Smoly, Dniprovsky Precision Pipe Plant, Ukrainian Industrial Technology Scientific Research and Project Exploration Institute.
