Global Threat Reduction Initiative

Transcription

1 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Global Threat Reduction Initiative Establishing Reliable Supplies of Mo-99 Produced Without HEU Dr. Parrish Staples September 27, 2011

2 GTRI Mission & Program Goals Convert Remove Protect Mission reduce and protect vulnerable nuclear and radiological material located at civilian sites worldwide. Convert research reactors and isotope production facilities from the use of highly enriched uranium (HEU) to low enriched uranium (LEU) Remove and dispose of excess nuclear and radiological materials. Protect high priority nuclear and radiological materials from theft and sabotage These efforts result in permanent threat reduction by minimizing and, to the extent possible, eliminating the need for HEU in civilian applications each reactor converted or shut down eliminates a source of bomb material. These efforts result in p ermanent threat reduction by eliminating bomb material at civilian sites each kilogram or curie of this dangerous material that is removed reduces the risk of a terrorist bomb. These efforts result in threat reduction by improving security on the bomb material remaining at civilian sites each vulnerable building that is protected reduces the risk until a permanent threat reduction solution can be i mp lemented. 2

3 What is Molybdenum-99? Molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) is the parent product of Tc-99m, a radioisotope used in approximately 50,000 medical diagnostic tests per day in the U.S. Primary uses include detection of heart disease, cancer, study of organ structure and function, and other applications. Mo-99 has a short half live (66 hours) and cannot be stockpiled. U.S. demand is approximately 50% of the world market. Mo-99 is produced at only 5 processing facilities worldwide, in cooperation with 8 research reactor facilities. 3 of the 5 processing facilities use HEU targets to produce Mo-99, one utilizes LEU targets, and one (South Africa) is in the process of converting to LEU. 3 of the 8 research reactors use HEU fuel. Tc-99m generator and labeling kits Due to several factors in recent years, the Mo-99 supply chain has experienced severe shortages and is expected to continue experiencing significant shortages until new production can enter the market. Any new or expanded production of Mo-99 must be aligned with international commitments on the use of HEU in civilian applications. SAFARI-1 Reactor (South Africa) 3

4 GTRI Supports International Commitments to Eliminate the use of HEU in Isotope Production Nuclear Security Summit April 13, 2010 Participating States, as appropriate, will collaborate to research and develop new technologies that require neither highly enriched uranium fuels for reactor operation nor highly enriched uranium targets for producing medical or other isotopes, and will encourage the use of low enriched uranium and other proliferation-resistant technologies and fuels in various commercial applications such as isotope production; UN Security Council Resolution 1887 September 24, 2009 Calls upon all States to manage responsibly and minimize to the greatest extent that is technically and economically feasible the use of highly enriched uranium for civilian purposes, including by working to convert research reactors and radioisotope production processes to the use of low enriched uranium fuels and targets; Obama-Medvedev Moscow Joint Statement July 6, 2009 we declare an intent to broaden and deepen long-term cooperation to further increase the level of security of nuclear facilities around the world, including through minimization of the use of highly-enriched uranium in civilian applications and through consolidation and conversion of nuclear materials. President Obama s Speech in Prague April 5, 2009 Today, I am announcing a new international effort to secure all vulnerable nuclear material around the world within four years. We will set new standards, expand our cooperation with Russia, and pursue new partnerships to lock down these sensitive materials. Summary: To ensure that current efforts to secure vulnerable nuclear materials around the world will not need to be repeated in the future due to the continued use of HEU to produce medical isotopes, it is important that all new or expanded long-term Mo-99 production is undertaken without HEU. For our part, the U.S. provides assistance to convert global isotope producers to LEU, and is accelerating efforts to develop medical isotope production in the United States that does not require the use of HEU. 4

5 GTRI & Mo-99 International & U.S. Domestic Approaches Under its long-standing HEU minimization mission, GTRI provides assistance to research reactors and isotope production facilities to convert from the use of HEU to LEU. GTRI s mission includes accelerating the establishment of a reliable U.S. domestic supply of Mo-99 produced without the use of HEU. INTERNATIONAL EFFORTS Assisting global Mo-99 production facilities to convert to use LEU targets Achieve HEU Minimization Establish reliable supplies of Mo-99 produced without HEU U.S. DOMESTIC EFFORTS Accelerating the establishment of commercial non-heubased Mo-99 production in the United States 5

6 GTRI & Mo-99 Strategy for Reliable Non-HEU-Based Mo-99 Supply Global Mo-99 Market Major Producers HEU Non-HEU NTP Radioisotopes (South Africa) ANSTO (Australia) Covidien (Netherlands) IRE (Belgium) AECL-Nordion (Canada) NTP Radioisotopes (South Africa) ANSTO (Australia) Covidien (Netherlands) IRE (Belgium) AECL-Nordion (Canada) NTP Radioisotopes (South Africa) ANSTO (Australia) Covidien (Netherlands) IRE (Belgium) U.S. Domestic Mo-99 Projects

7 GTRI and U.S. Domestic Mo-99: Non-HEU Production Methods n 1 LEU Fission Based: U 235 (n,f) U 235 n 1 Mo 99 Neutron from other fissioning uranium atoms. The neutron is captured by a uranium-235 atom. Other Fission Products Neutrons and fission products are ejected. Six percent of the fission products produced are Mo-99 atoms. Neutron Capture:(n, ) n 1 Mo 98 Mo 99 Neutron The neutron is captured by the Mo-98 nucleus. The atomic weight of Mo-98 increases by one and becomes Mo-99. e - Mo 100 Accelerator Based: (,n) Mo 100 n 1 The interaction ejects a neutron from the Mo-100 nucleus, creating Mo-99. High velocity electron from a particle accelerator. The electron interacts with Mo-100 in the target producing X-rays. X-ray The X-rays interact with other Mo-100 nuclei. Mo 99 7

8 GTRI and U.S. Domestic Mo-99: Cooperative Agreement Partners Objective: To accelerate existing commercial projects to meet at least 100% of the U.S. demand of Mo-99 produced without HEU by the end of Neutron Capture: On September 30, 2009, NNSA awarded a Cooperative Agreement to General Electric-Hitachi for $2.3M to pursue neutron capture technology. LEU Solution Reactor Technology: On September 30, 2009, NNSA awarded a Cooperative Agreement to Babcock and Wilcox (B&W) for $9.1M to pursue the LEU solution reactor technology. Accelerator Technology: On September 29, 2010, NNSA awarded a limited-scope Cooperative Agreement to NorthStar Medical Radioisotopes, LLC for $500,000 to pursue accelerator technology. A proposal for a fullscope Cooperative Agreement is currently under evaluation. On September 29, 2010, NNSA awarded a limited-scope Cooperative Agreement to Morgridge Institute for Research for $500,000 to pursue accelerator technology. A proposal for a fullscope Cooperative Agreement is currently under evaluation. Each Cooperative Agreement project is limited to $25M, under a 50% - 50% cost-share arrangement. 8

9 Mo-99 Coordination: U.S. Interagency, International Organizations, Stakeholder Outreach OSTP Interagency Working Group o OSTP, NSC, NNSA, DOE-Science, DOE-Nuclear Energy, DOS, DHS, NRC, HHS, FDA, DOT, CMS (soon) U.S. Stakeholder Outreach o Medical communities stakeholder meeting hosted by OSTP twice a year. o Society of Nuclear Medicine, American Nuclear Society, other conferences. First Annual Mo-99 Topical Meeting (December 2011) Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Nuclear Energy Agency s High Level Group on the Security of Supply of Medical Radioisotopes (HLG-MR) IAEA Coordinated Research Projects and Consultancy Groups on Mo-99: o Conversion Planning for Mo-99 Production from HEU to LEU o Small-Scale Indigenous Production Using LEU Targets or Neutron Activation o Current and Novel, Non-HEU-Based Isotope Production and Supply Technologies for Mo-99 and Tc-99m o Feasibility Evaluation of the Use of Low Enriched Uranium Fuelled Homogeneous Aqueous Solution Nuclear Reactors for the Production of Short Lived Fission Product Isotopes (GTRI is an observer only) o Progress with the Production of Molybdenum-99 using Neutron Activation (GTRI is an observer only) 9

10 112 th Congress: The American Medical Isotopes Production Act of 2011 (S.99) The American Medical Isotopes Production Act of 2011 (S.99) was introduced by Senators Bingaman and Murkowski, Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, on January 25, Directs DOE to establish a technology-neutral program: To evaluate and support projects for the production in the United States, without the use of HEU, of significant quantities of Mo-99, To be carried out in cooperation with non-federal entities, To be carried out under a cost share arrangement in accordance with Section 988 of the Energy Policy Act of Directs DOE to establish a program to make LEU available through lease contracts for Mo- 99 production, and retain responsibility for the final disposition of the leased uranium and radioactive wastes created by the irradiation, processing, or purification of leased uranium that do not have a commercial disposition pathway. Conditions and phases out the export of HEU for medical isotope production in 7-13 years. NNSA supports S.99 because it recognizes the urgency of two important priorities: nuclear nonproliferation and stability of the supply of medical isotopes. 10