Urenco Group
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The Urenco Group operates uranium enrichment plants in Germany, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom and supplies nuclear power stations in about 15 countries in Europe and overseas. Worldwide Urenco has a 23% share of the market for enrichment services[1]. Urenco uses Zippe-type centrifuge enrichment technology, the first commercial enrichment provider in the Western world to use this method.
Urenco Deutschland GmbH, Urenco (Capenhurst) Ltd. and Urenco Nederland BV which enrich uranium at Gronau, Westphalia, Germany also at Capenhurst, Cheshire, United Kingdom and at Almelo, Overijssel, The Netherlands are 100% subsidiaries of Urenco Enrichment Company Ltd. In addition to guiding and supervising the Group's enrichment business, Urenco Enrichment Company Ltd. is responsible for all marketing activities and the administration of enrichment contracts. In the USA, Urenco is represented by its marketing subsidiary Urenco Inc in Washington, DC.
Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, worked for a subcontractor of Urenco in Almelo in the early 1970’s when he allegedly stole the blue prints for centrifuge enrichment technology. This matter was first reported in the press in 1979 and has been widely reported on several occasions since then. Urenco has always been open regarding this issue.
Urenco is bound by a non-proliferation treaty and cannot deal with any country which has not signed the treaty. Urenco has always and continues to manage its security in strict accordance with national and international security regulations and procedures.[citation needed]
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[edit] Ownership
Urenco is owned by Ultra-Centrifuge Nederland (Dutch), Uranit GmbH (German) and British Nuclear Fuels plc (UK) in three equal shares [2]. LES, a wholly owned subsidiary of Urenco is licensed to build and operate the National Enrichment Facility in Eunice, New Mexico, USA
[edit] Decommissioning
Urenco Netherlands BV has dismantled enrichment plant SP 3, after the decommissioning of SP 1 and SP2 in the '80/'90 of the previous century. Information about decommissioning cost calculations for URENCO facilities are not accessible. [3]
[edit] See also
Urenco is currently building an enrichment facility in the United States. The National Enrichment Facility (NEF) operated by Louisiana Energy Services (LES) is currently under construction 5 miles East of Eunice, New Mexico. The National Enrichment Facility celebrated its ground breaking on August 26, 2006.
