A Dept. of Energy-sanctioned report on plutonium disposition alternatives, citing uncertainties related to design and construction of the Mixed-Oxide (MOX) Fuel Fabrication Facility project in South Carolina, indicates shifting to a new approach would be less costly than continuing to pursue the MOX program. The report—prepared by The Aerospace Corp. for the DOE’s National Nuclear Security Administration—estimates the life-cycle program cost of converting weapons-grade plutonium into MOX fuel at $47.5 billion. By comparison, downblending, which plutonium is mixed with other materials, would cost $17.2 billion.
Released to the public in early May, the report estimates that $9.4 billion is required to complete the MOX facility’s construction. The report further calculates that, based on historical levels of federal funding, contractors could complete construction by as early as 2043, or as late as 2099. Under construction since 2007, the MOX project—also referred to by the abbreviation MFFF—was initially slated for completion in 2016.