[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 72 (Friday, April 14, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23022-23023]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-07900]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Agency Information Collection Extension
AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy.
ACTION: Notice of request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (DOE) invites public comment on a
proposed collection of information that DOE is developing for
submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) pursuant to the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.
DATES: Comments regarding this proposed information collection must be
received on or before May 15, 2023. If you anticipate that you will be
submitting comments but find it difficult to do so within the period of
time allowed by this notice, please advise the DOE Desk Officer at OMB
of your intention to make a submission as soon as possible. The Desk
Officer may be telephoned at (202) 395-4718.
ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for the proposed
information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of
this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this information
collection by selecting ``Currently under 30-day Review--Open for
Public Comments'' or by using the search function.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Michael Reim,
[email protected], (202) 748-3383.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the
extended collection of information is necessary for the proper
performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the
information shall have practical utility; (b) the accuracy of the
agency's estimate of the burden of the proposed collection of
information, including the validity of the methodology and assumptions
used; (c) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and (d) ways to minimize the burden of the
collection of information on respondents, including through the use of
automated collection techniques or other forms of information
technology.
This information collection request contains:
(1) OMB No.: 1910-NEW;
(2) Information Collection Request Titled: Survey of High-Assay,
Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) Needs for Civilian Domestic Research,
Development, Demonstration, and Commercial Use.;
(3) Type of Review: New;
(4) Purpose: The purpose of this survey is to inform the planning
and development of a Department of Energy (DOE) HALEU Availability
Program. Section 2001 of The Energy Act of 2020 (Pub. L. 116-260, Dec.
27, 2020) authorizes the Secretary to establish and carry out, through
the Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), a program to support the
availability of HALEU for civilian domestic research and development,
demonstration, and commercial use. The Act authorizes multiple actions
to facilitate the development of a commercial HALEU supply chain
including a biennial survey of stakeholders to estimate the quantity of
HALEU necessary for domestic commercial use, establishing a consortium
of fuel cycle entities to partner with DOE in making HALEU available,
and to provide HALEU to consortium members during development of
commercial domestic sources. NE is developing plans to establish the
HALEU Availability Program to implement these and other directed
actions, including those related to HALEU fuel fabrication, enrichment,
and transportation.
(5) Annual Estimated Number of Respondents: 25;
(6) Annual Estimated Number of Total Responses: 25;
(7) Annual Estimated Number of Burden Hours: 200;
(8) Annual Estimated Reporting and Recordkeeping Cost Burden:
$13,376.
HALEU is defined as uranium enriched between 5 and 20 percent
uranium-235, and HALEU enriched between 10-20 percent will be required
by several advanced reactor designs currently under development.
Multiple stakeholders will require HALEU for commercial and research
purposes in the coming years, including advanced reactor designers,
traditional nuclear fuel and nuclear reactor vendors, Advanced Reactor
Demonstration Program awardees, and other companies and organizations
engaged in nuclear research and development.
For stakeholders that plan to utilize HALEU enriched between 5 and
20 percent, please provide the following information:
(1) A short summary of the stakeholder's planned commercial and
research needs for HALEU including:
a. The type of reactor system or facilities that would use the
fuel,
b. Projections regarding the number of reactors or facilities, and
c. Current status and future plans for licensing and regulatory
milestones,
d. Plans for U.S. and international deployment.
(2) The number of metric tons of uranium required per year (MTU/yr)
where the year listed is the delivery date of HALEU required for fuel
fabrication or fuel qualification experiments.
(3) The specific enrichment percentage or range of enrichment
percentages required between 5 and 20 percent.
(4) The chemical and physical form of HALEU required (metal, oxide,
etc.).
Table 1--HALEU Needs by Year
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028-2032 2033-2037
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MTU/yr.......................................................
Specific enrichment % or range of enrichment required between
5-20%.......................................................
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(5) For small quantity requests of HALEU of 50 kgU or less please
provide:
a. An individual point of contact for resolving questions related
to the request (name, organization, title, email address, phone
number).
b. Quantity requested (in kilograms), enrichment level, and form
(e.g., UF6, metal, oxide, other).
c. Desired delivery date(s) for HALEU. Provide multiple dates and
quantities if that would be the case to support multiple experiments
over time.
d. How will the HALEU be used? Briefly describe the fuel form,
[[Page 23023]]
fabrication, and experiments to be conducted. Provide a schedule.
e. Is this activity associated with an existing public-private
partnership or cost-shared agreement? If so, please identify the
agreement.
f. Describe your capabilities, experience, and financing that will
enable you to use the HALEU for the intended purpose on the schedule
provided.
g. Describe your progress in achieving the following:
i. Regulatory approvals
ii. Fabrication services
iii. Access to experimental facilities
iv. Capabilities to ship/receive HALEU
v. Any other areas that are required to execute your plans.
h. Provide detailed material specifications for the HALEU including
contamination and purity limits.
i. Provide any other requirements that would be important for us to
know in processing your request.
Statutory Authority: Section 2001 of The Energy Act of 2020 (Pub.
L. 116-260, Dec. 27, 2020).
Signing Authority
This document of the Department of Energy was signed on April 7,
2023, by Jon Carmack, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Nuclear Fuel Cycle
and Supply Chain, Office of Nuclear Energy, pursuant to delegated
authority from the Secretary of Energy. That document with the original
signature and date is maintained by DOE. For administrative purposes
only, and in compliance with requirements of the Office of the Federal
Register, the undersigned DOE Federal Register Liaison Officer has been
authorized to sign and submit the document in electronic format for
publication, as an official document of the Department of Energy. This
administrative process in no way alters the legal effect of this
document upon publication in the Federal Register.
Signed in Washington, DC, on April 11, 2023.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
[FR Doc. 2023-07900 Filed 4-13-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P