November 2005 Milking It Nuclear Fuel Services transforms volatile Uranium stock into a potentially useful pharmaceutical tool By SARA C. SHOEMAKER Nuclear Fuel Services’ (NFS) new multi-million dollar, Department of Energy-financed venture with Oak Ridge National Laboratory proves just how versatile nuclear fuel can be.
The Erwin-based innovator of energy alternatives is traditionally known for its nearly half-century-long, ongoing contract providing fuel to power submarines and aircraft carriers for the United States Navy. As the Cold War ended in the early 1990s, the Navy’s fuel demands decreased, steering NFS to concentrate on other business lines.
One of those new ideas will save lives.
Last year, NFS and Columbia, Md.-based Duratek were awarded a four-phase DOE contract. Working together as Isotek, the companies seek to systematically eliminate the volatile Uranium-233 (U-233) materials stockpiled at ORNL by extracting, or “milking,” by-products such as Thorium-229. After additional processing, the result will be used to treat patients suffering from prostate cancer or leukemia.
“[This project] removes that U-233 from being an issue at Oak Ridge. It transfers U-233 into a safe, stable form. It creates Thorium-229 and provides a process by which it can be turned into a form that can be used by pharmaceutical companies,” says NFS spokesperson, Tony Treadway.
The U-233 left over can then be reprocessed, or downblended, and used as a commercial fuel source for organizations like TVA to create electricity.
While using nuclear materials to treat cancer is not a new concept, the U-233 project represents a potential new revenue source for NFS. So far, the prognosis looks good.
This new cancer therapy, which rivals conventional gamma or X-ray therapies, is already being tested at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in human trials and “shows much promise,” says Tom Conley, manager of the U-233 Safe Storage Program at ORNL.
Once Isotek completes its initial planning and analysis phase, the joint venture will begin the $18 million second phase to refurbish building 3019 on ORNL’s campus to house Isotek’s operations, scheduled to be completed in October 2006. Phase three, worth $50 million, is when the milking of U-233 begins full production.
This project also bodes well for NFS, Unicoi County’s largest employer with 800 workers, as it faces human resource challenges as more veteran scientists and engineers approach retirement age.
Projects like U-233 and the company’s renewed, four-year $70 million Navy fuel contract will help the company attract needed new talent.
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