Secretarial Determination of No Adverse Material Impact on the Domestic Uranium Mining, Conversion, and Enrichment Industries To Support Mo-99 Production, 89436-89439 [2023-28501]
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[FR Doc. 2023–28464 Filed 12–26–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
National Nuclear Security
Administration
Secretarial Determination of No
Adverse Material Impact on the
Domestic Uranium Mining, Conversion,
and Enrichment Industries To Support
Mo-99 Production
National Nuclear Security
Administration (NNSA), Department of
Energy (DOE).
ACTION: Notice.
AGENCY:
On November 22, 2023, the
Secretary of Energy issued a Secretarial
Determination (hereafter
‘‘determination’’) covering the sale,
lease, or transfer of up to 750 kilograms
uranium (kgU) of high-assay lowenriched uranium (HALEU) (above 5,
but less than 20 weight percent (wt.-%)
uranium-235) per year during the twoyear period following signature of the
determination to support molybdenum99 (Mo-99) production. For the reasons
set forth in the Department’s ‘‘Analysis
of Potential Impacts of Certain Uranium
Transactions on the Domestic Uranium
Mining, Conversion, and Enrichment
Industries,’’ which is incorporated into
the determination, the Secretary
determined that these transactions will
not have an adverse material impact on
the domestic uranium mining,
conversion, or enrichment industries.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Requests for additional information may
be sent to Peter Rocco:
officeofconversion@nnsa.doe.gov or
(202) 287–1018.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
SUMMARY:
Authority and Background
The Department of Energy (‘‘the
Department’’) holds limited inventories
of uranium in various forms and
quantities that have been declared as
excess and are not dedicated to U.S.
national security missions. Within DOE,
the National Nuclear Security
Administration (NNSA) manages these
inventories to carry out critical
missions, including minimizing the use
of highly enriched uranium (HEU) in
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civilian applications. NNSA downblends excess HEU from these
inventories to high-assay, low-enriched
uranium (HALEU)—a subset of low
enriched uranium (LEU) enriched above
the commercial level of 5 wt.-% and
below 20 wt.-% of the isotope U–235—
to be used as fuel for research reactors
and target material for the production of
critical medical isotopes.
This notice involves the sale, lease, or
transfer of HALEU to support
molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) producers.
Leases covered by this determination
fulfill a directive in the American
Medical Isotopes Production Act of
2012 (Pub. L. 112–239, Division C, Title
XXXI, Subtitle F, 42 U.S.C. 2065) for the
Department to establish a program to
make HALEU available, through lease
contracts, for the production of Mo-99
for medical uses. The sales, leases, or
transfers covered by this determination
also support U.S. nuclear
nonproliferation initiatives by downblending HEU and encouraging the use
of HALEU in civilian applications in
lieu of HEU.
These sales, leases, or transfers are
conducted in accordance with the
Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C.
2011 et seq., ‘‘AEA’’), as amended, and
other applicable laws. Specifically, title
I, chapters 6 and 14 of the AEA
authorize DOE to sell or transfer special
nuclear material, including HALEU. The
USEC Privatization Act (Pub. L. 104–
134, 42 U.S.C. 2297h et seq.), however,
places certain limitations on DOE’s
authority to sell or transfer uranium
from its excess uranium inventory.
Specifically, under section 3112(d)(2) of
the USEC Privatization Act (42 U.S.C.
2297h–10(d)(2)), DOE may make certain
sales or transfers of natural uranium or
LEU if the Secretary determines that the
sales ‘‘will not have an adverse material
impact on the domestic uranium
mining, conversion, or enrichment
industry, taking into account the sales of
uranium under the Russian HEU
Agreement and the Suspension
Agreement,’’
On November 22, 2023, the Secretary
of Energy issued a determination
covering the sale, lease, or transfer of up
to 750 kgU of HALEU per year during
the two-year period following signing of
the determination to support Mo-99
production. For the reasons set forth in
the Department’s ‘‘Analysis of Potential
Impacts of Certain Uranium
Transactions on the Domestic Uranium
Mining, Conversion, and Enrichment
Industries,’’ which is incorporated into
the determination, the Secretary
determined that these transactions will
not have an adverse material impact on
the domestic uranium mining,
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conversion, or enrichment industries. In
accordance with section 306(a) of
Division D, Title III of the Consolidated
and Further Continuing Appropriations
Act, 2015 (Pub. L. 113–235), this
determination is valid for no more than
two calendar years following the date of
the determination.
Signing Authority
This document of the Department of
Energy was signed on December 18,
2023, by Corey Hinderstein, Deputy
Administrator for Defense Nuclear
Nonproliferation, pursuant to delegated
authority from the Secretary of Energy.
The 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 December
21, 2023.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S.
Department of Energy.
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Set forth below is the full text of the
Secretarial Determination.
Secretarial Determination for the Sale,
Lease, or Transfer of Certain High–
Assay, Low–Enriched Uranium for the
Next Two Years
I determine that the sale, lease, or
transfer of up to 750 kilograms uranium
(kgU) of high-assay low-enriched
uranium (above 5, but less than 20
weight percent uranium-235) per
calendar year subsequent to signing this
determination to support molybdenum99 production will not have an adverse
material impact on the domestic
uranium mining, conversion, or
enrichment industries. I base my
conclusions on the Department’s
Analysis of Potential Impacts of Certain
Uranium Transactions on the Domestic
Uranium Mining, Conversion, and
Enrichment Industries, which is
incorporated herein. I have considered,
inter alia, the requirements of the USEC
Privatization Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C.
2297h et seq.), the nature of uranium
markets, and the current status of the
domestic uranium industries. I have
also taken into account the sales of
uranium under the Agreement Between
the Government of the United States of
America and the Government of the
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Russian Federation Concerning the
Disposition of Highly Enriched Uranium
Extracted from Nuclear Weapons
(‘‘Russian HEU Agreement’’) and the
Agreement Suspending the
Antidumping Investigation on Uranium
From the Russian Federation
(‘‘Suspension Agreement’’).
Jennifer Granholm
Date: November 22, 2023
Set forth below is the full text of the
Analysis of Potential Impacts of Certain
Uranium Transactions on the Domestic
Uranium Mining, Conversion, and
Enrichment Industries.
Analysis of Potential Impacts of Certain
Uranium Transactions on the Domestic
Uranium Mining, Conversion, and
Enrichment Industries
I. Introduction
A. Legal Authority
The Department of Energy (DOE)
manages its excess uranium inventory
in accordance with the Atomic Energy
Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.,
‘‘AEA’’), as amended, and other
applicable laws. Specifically, Title I,
Chapters 6 and 14 of the AEA authorize
DOE to sell or transfer special nuclear
material. Low-enriched uranium (LEU)
is a type of special nuclear material.
The USEC Privatization Act (Pub. L.
104–134, 42 U.S.C. 2297h et seq.) places
certain limitations on DOE’s authority to
sell or transfer uranium from its excess
uranium inventory. Specifically, under
section 3112(d)(2)(B) of the USEC
Privatization Act (42 U.S.C. 2297h
10(d)(2)(B)), DOE may make certain
sales or transfers of natural uranium or
LEU 1 if:
(A) The President determines that the
material is not necessary for national
security needs;
(B) The Secretary determines that the
sale of the material will not have an
adverse material impact on the domestic
uranium mining, conversion, or
enrichment industry, taking into
account the sales of uranium under the
Russian HEU Agreement and the
Suspension Agreement; and,
1 Section 3102 of the USEC Privatization Act
defines ‘‘low-enriched uranium’’ as ‘‘uranium
enriched to less than 20 percent of the uranium-235
isotope, including that which is derived from
highly enriched uranium.’’ 42 U.S.C. 2297h(5).
Section 3112A of the USEC Privatization Act also
provides a definition of LEU: ‘‘a uranium product
in any form, including uranium hexafluoride (UF6)
and uranium oxide (UO2), in which the uranium
contains less than 20 percent uranium-235,
including natural uranium, without regard to
whether the uranium is incorporated into fuel rods
or complete fuel assemblies.’’ 42 U.S.C. 2297h–
10a(a)(5). Both definitions encompass HALEU,
which is U–235 enriched between 5%–20%. Thus,
HALEU is a form of LEU and falls within the
Secretarial Determination requirement.
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(C) The price paid to the Secretary
will not be less than the fair market
value of the material.
Regarding condition (A): for purposes
of section 3112(d)(2)(A) of the USEC
Privatization Act, DOE has historically
treated material not included in the
Nuclear Weapons Stockpile
Memorandum (a memorandum signed
by the President that identifies uranium
necessary for defense needs) as being
excess to national security needs. None
of the material included in the proposed
transactions was included in the most
recent Nuclear Weapons Stockpile
Memorandum.
This analysis focuses on condition B
above.
Regarding condition (C): the price
paid to the Secretary will not be less
than the fair market value of the LEU
sold, transferred, or leased. Specifically,
for HALEU leased under the ULTB
Program, the lease contracts contain a
pricing mechanism to ensure that the
Department receives the prevailing
market value for its material, as required
by AMIPA. For other HALEU sales or
transfers, the contracts will require cash
payment for the fair market value of the
HALEU sold. Accordingly, all sale or
lease transactions will comply with
section 3112(d)(2)(C), and the fair
market value will be determined at the
time of the transaction.
The validity of any determination
under this section is limited to no more
than two calendar years subsequent to
the determination.2 The USEC
Privatization Act also permits sales or
transfers of enriched uranium for
governmental purposes under section
3112(e), which are not subject to the
limitations imposed by section 3112(d).
B. Transactions Considered in This
Analysis
Two types of potential transactions
are considered in this analysis: (1) the
lease of LEU for the production of
molybdenum-99 (Mo–99) pursuant to
the American Medical Isotopes
Production Act of 2012 (AMIPA); 3 and
(2) the sale or transfer of LEU to
producers for use in medical isotope
development and production, which
would enable the material to be used for
Mo–99 production outside of AMIPA
requirements. The exact uses of LEU
under these transactions and designs of
facilities in which the LEU would be
utilized vary by producer, but fissionbased production usually involves
fabrication or preparation of uranium
2 See section 306(a) of Division D, Title III of the
Consolidated and Further Continuing
Appropriations Act, 2015 (Pub. L. 113–235).
3 Public Law 112–239, Division C, Title XXXI,
Subtitle F, 42 U.S.C. 2065.
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for irradiation, followed by chemical
processing to extract the Mo-99 for
packaging into a generator and delivery
to a radiopharmacy.
The first type of transaction would be
under AMIPA. These transfers would
support the Uranium Lease and Take
Back (ULTB) program, was established
under AMIPA and enables DOE to lease
LEU to produce Mo-99 in the United
States without the use of highly
enriched uranium (HEU).
The second type of transaction
considered in this analysis is a sale or
transfer of LEU to producers for use in
medical isotope development and
production processes, including Mo-99,
that are not under the ULTB program
and do not meet the criteria of section
3112(e)(3) of the USEC Privatization Act
for governmental purposes.
Both types of transactions require a
Secretarial Determination under section
3112(d)(2)(B) of the USEC Privatization
Act as well as meeting the other criteria
of section 3112(d)(2).
The materials considered in this
analysis would be sold, leased, or
transferred during the two-year period
following the signing of the Secretarial
Determination and would consist of no
more than 750 kgU of HALEU in any
year. Based on semi-annual HALEU
demand surveys conducted to
determine producers’ material needs,
DOE’s National Nuclear Security
Administration (DOE/NNSA) assessed
750 kgU of HALEU for each year
covered by this determination.
Assuming a tails assay of 0.20 wt.-%
U–235, this quantity would be
equivalent to approximately 28,700 kgU
of natural uranium hexafluoride and
approximately 33,850 separative work
units (‘‘SWU’’) to produce 750 kgU of
HALEU at 19.75 weight-% U–235.4
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II. Analytical Approach
The analytical approach relied on for
previous Secretarial Determinations
covering the sale, transfer, or lease of
excess uranium for Mo-99 development
and production (80 FR 65728, Oct. 27,
2015), the ULTB program (81 FR 1409,
Jan. 12, 2016), and the Secretarial
Determinations for the Sale, Lease or
Transfer of Uranium (signed and dated
Nov. 26, 2019 and Nov. 23, 2021,
respectively) is repeated here and
updated to the extent necessary.
4 The calculation is based on the Y–12 Standard
Specification for LEU Metal Supply for Mo-99
Isotope Production, which assumes deliveries of
quantities of 19.75 wt.-% LEU. If any sale, lease, or
transfer includes material at an assay other than
19.75 wt.-%, the amount will be converted so that
the total amount in any year covered by this
Determination is equivalent to no more than 750
kgU at 19.75 wt.-%.
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This analysis evaluates the state of the
domestic uranium industries and the
relevant impacts if DOE goes forward
with these potential transactions. DOE
has developed a set of factors that this
analysis considers in assessing whether
DOE’s uranium sales and transfers will
have an ‘‘adverse material impact’’ on
the domestic uranium mining,
conversion, or enrichment industry:
1. Prices
2. Production at existing facilities
3. Employment levels in the industry
4. Changes in capital improvement
plans and development of future
facilities
5. Long-term viability and health of the
industry
6. Russian HEU Agreement and Russian
Suspension Agreement
While no single factor is dispositive of
the issue, DOE believes that these
factors are representative of the types of
impacts that the proposed sale, lease, or
transfer may have on the domestic
uranium industries. Not every factor
will necessarily be relevant on a given
occasion or to a particular industry;
DOE intends this list of factors only as
a guide to its analysis.
III. Assessment of Potential Impacts
1. Prices
There is currently no domestic
commercial supplier for HALEU.
Therefore, there is no established
market price for HALEU. DOE sets a
price for HALEU based on a
combination of commercial market price
components for LEU, plus a charge for
the separative work above the 5% LEU
limit reflecting the historical cost to
DOE to produce this material. Through
the end of 2022, the market value of
4.95% enriched LEU rose 200% from its
low point in October 2017. The market
price rose 90% from December 2020
through December 2022. Industry
analysts forecast a continued increase in
the market value of LEU.5 The relatively
small quantities of HALEU provided by
DOE have not impacted the price
increases in this market, and DOE does
not expect that they would impact price
in the future.
Further, with no domestic commercial
provider for HALEU, the DOE sales and
leases of HALEU would not displace
production or affect prices among the
commercial domestic uranium mining,
conversion, or enrichment industries.
Even if it did, the amount would be so
small that the effects would be minimal.
5 Energy Resources International, Inc. (ERI),
Nuclear Fuel Cycle Supply and Price Report, ERI–
2006–2202/December 2022.
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2. Production at Existing Facilities
An analysis of the impact of the
proposed sales and leases based on an
assessment of production at existing
facilities is straightforward. There is
currently no domestic commercial
supplier of HALEU in the United States.
Due to the lack of a sufficient near-term
market, owners and operators of
enrichment facilities have not
developed HALEU enrichment
capability to produce uranium enriched
to 19.75 wt.-% U–235. With the closing
of the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant
in 2013, the only uranium enrichment
facility in the United States operating at
commercial scale is the URENCO USA
facility operated by Louisiana Energy
Services, LLC (LES), in Eunice, New
Mexico, which is currently licensed by
the Nuclear Regulatory Commission
(NRC) to possess uranium only up to 5.5
wt. % U 235.6
Further, it is not feasible for
commercial Mo-99 producers to use
commercially available assays of LEU
(i.e., LEU enriched to 5.5 wt.-% U–235
or less) instead of HALEU. Given the
specialized uses, designs, and regulatory
requirements of these isotope producers,
the use of commercial-assay LEU would
prevent the facility or target from
achieving the same performance or
efficiency and thus from being used for
their intended purposes.
Although the DOE sales and leases of
HALEU would not displace production
among the commercial domestic
uranium mining, conversion, or
enrichment industries, even if it did, the
amount would be so small that the
effects would be minimal. With respect
to these industries, to produce the
amount of HALEU in the proposed sales
and leases from primary production
would require approximately 75,000
pounds of uranium concentrates
(U3O8), 28,700 kgU of conversion
services, and 33,800 SWU of enrichment
services. By comparison, the entire
domestic fleet of nuclear reactors in
2020 required approximately 43 million
pounds of U3O8, 16.2 million kgU of
conversion services, and about 14.8
million SWU.7 Therefore, the feed,
conversion, and SWU content of the
DOE material represents 0.17%, 0.17%,
and 0.22% of annual domestic
requirements, respectively.
The domestic conversion industry
consists of only one facility that
6 U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Materials
License. License Number SNM–2010, Amendment
57, Docket Number 70–3103.
7 The global requirements information comes
from an analysis prepared by Energy Resources
International, Inc. (ERI), Nuclear Fuel Cycle Supply
and Price Report, ERI–2006–2101/June 2021.
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historically produced between 10
million kgU and 12 million kgU per year
and reduced its capability to 7 million
kgU in 2017. Honeywell, the owner of
that facility, suspended operation in
2018, but resumed operation in July
2023 at 7 million kgU per year. Thus,
although there has been no conversion
occurring in the United States for
several years, there are signs of the
market improving given Honeywell’s
recent restart. As mentioned above,
there is only one currently operating
commercial enrichment facility,
URENCO USA’s subsidiary, LES, in the
United States. The total capacity of that
facility is 4.9 million SWU.
In October 2023, American Centrifuge
Operating, LLC (ACO), a subsidiary of
the U.S. company, Centrus Energy Corp.
(Centrus), began enrichment operations
on a demonstration basis at DOE’s
facility in Piketon, Ohio.8 The initial
production goal is 20 kgU 19.75%
HALEU. ACO/Centrus is discussed at
length in Section 4 below.
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3. Employment Levels in the Industry
As stated above, DOE sales and leases
of HALEU would not displace
production among the commercial
domestic uranium mining, conversion,
or enrichment industries, and therefore
will not affect employment levels in
these industries.
4. Changes in Capital Improvement
Plans and Development of Future
Facilities
Although there is currently no
domestic uranium enrichment
capability to produce HALEU, there
have been recent noteworthy
developments. In 2019, the Department
entered into a cost-shared contract for a
HALEU Demonstration Program with
ACO to deploy a 16-machine cascade of
AC–100 M centrifuges in Piketon, Ohio
to produce 19.75 wt.-% U–235 with
U.S.-origin enrichment technology that
will result in a small quantity of
HALEU. In June 2021, the NRC
approved ACO’s license amendment
request to produce HALEU with an
enrichment assay of up to 20 wt.-% U–
235 at the Piketon facility. In November
2022, DOE announced another costshared award with ACO, equating to
approximately $150 million and
including a $30 million cost share
during the first year to start up and
operate the 16 centrifuges at the Piketon
facility. In June 2023, ACO received
NRC approval to introduce uranium
hexafluoride into its cascade following
8 HALEU Demonstration Project Starts
Enrichment Operations in Ohio | Department of
Energy.
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completion of an operational readiness
review.9 As part of the 2022 award,
ACO must produce 20 kilograms of
19.75% enriched HALEU by December
31, 2023. Following completion of the
demonstration, the contract calls for
production at an annual rate of 900 kg
of HALEU in 2024 with additional
options to produce more material under
the contract in future years, all subject
to appropriations.10
Additionally, URENCO USA provided
a notice to the NRC in April 2021 of its
intent to amend the URENCO USA
license to increase the enrichment level
up to 10 wt.-% U–235.11 URENCO USA
expects to have capability to deliver
HALEU up to 10 wt.-% U–235 in 2024.
URENCO USA also has longer term
plans to produce up to 19.75 wt.-% U–
235.
However, the relatively small
amounts of material covered by this
Determination have no impact on
capital improvement plans and
development of future facilities
including mines, conversion facilities,
and enrichment plants.
5. Long-Term Viability and Health of the
Industry
There is currently no commercial
supplier of HALEU in the United States.
Therefore, there is no long-term
industry impact to assess. During the
period covered by this Determination,
Centrus/ACO may begin producing up
to 900 kgU annually in both 2024 and
2025. However, DOE providing a
maximum of 750 kgU annually over the
same time period to a specific subset of
end users—Mo-99 producers—would
not displace production by Centrus/
ACO, given DOE’s own estimate of
extant HALEU demand (up to 40 metric
tons by 2029–30).12
6. Russian HEU Agreement and Russian
Suspension Agreement
The Russian HEU Agreement ended
in December 2013. The Suspension
Agreement was extended on October 5,
2020 (85 FR 64112) and remains in force
through 2040 with annual export limits
on Russian enriched uranium product
9 ‘‘Centrus gets NRC’s okay to introduce uranium
in HALEU demonstration cascade.’’ https://
www.ans.org/news/article-5092/centrus-gets-nrcsokay-to-introduce-uranium-in-haleudemonstration-cascade/.
10 American Centrifuge Plant and HALEU, from
an analysis prepared by Energy Resources
International, Inc. (ERI), Nuclear Fuel Cycle Supply
and Price Report, ERI–2006–2202/December 2022.
11 Louisiana Energy Services, LLC, dba Urenco
USA, Submittal of License Amendment Request for
Revision for MCNP6 Validation Report (LAR 21–03)
(nrc.gov).
12 U.S. Department of Energy to Acquire HighAssay Low-Enriched Uranium Material |
Department of Energy.
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89439
sold to U.S. utilities at commercially
available assays (e.g., 5 wt.-% U–235).13
The Suspension Agreement allows for
the sale of up to the following amounts
of U–235 per year in 2023, 2024, and
2025 respectively: 25,471 kg, 20,968 kg,
and 20,697 kg. The relatively small
amount of material covered by this
Determination is minimal compared to
domestic needs for LEU and imports
from the Russian Federation.
IV. Conclusion
With respect to the six factors listed
above to assess market impacts:
1. The relatively small amounts of
material covered by this Determination
have no impact on the price of HALEU,
for which there is currently no domestic
commercial market price.
2. There are new developments in the
industry, but production timelines will
not be impacted in the timeframe for
this Determination.
3. The relatively small amounts of
material covered by this Determination
have no impact on employment levels
in the mining, conversion, or
enrichment industries.
4. New market developments will not
mature during this Determination
period to a point where the market
could be impacted by DOE sales, leases,
or transfers.
5. The relatively small amounts of
material covered by this Determination
have no impact on the long-term
viability and health of the mining,
conversion, and enrichment industries.
6. The Russian HEU Agreement and
Suspension Agreement are not factors
because there is no HALEU currently
being imported from Russia to the
United States.
Thus, DOE concludes that the sale,
lease, or transfer of up to 750 kgU of
HALEU per year to support the
development and production of Mo-99
will not have an adverse material
impact on the domestic uranium
mining, conversion, or enrichment
industry, taking into account the ended
Russian HEU Agreement and extended
Russian Suspension Agreement.
[FR Doc. 2023–28501 Filed 12–26–23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450–01–P
13 2020 Amendment to the Agreement
Suspending the Antidumping Investigation on
Uranium From the Russian Federation, Federal
Register/Vol. 85, No. 197/Friday, October 9, 2020/
Notices https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/
2020/10/09/2020-22431/2020-amendment-to-theagreementsuspending-the-antidumpinginvestigation-on-uranium-from-the-russian.
E:\FR\FM\27DEN1.SGM
27DEN1
Agencies
[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 247 (Wednesday, December 27, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 89436-89439]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-28501]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
National Nuclear Security Administration
Secretarial Determination of No Adverse Material Impact on the
Domestic Uranium Mining, Conversion, and Enrichment Industries To
Support Mo-99 Production
AGENCY: National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA), Department of
Energy (DOE).
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: On November 22, 2023, the Secretary of Energy issued a
Secretarial Determination (hereafter ``determination'') covering the
sale, lease, or transfer of up to 750 kilograms uranium (kgU) of high-
assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) (above 5, but less than 20 weight
percent (wt.-%) uranium-235) per year during the two-year period
following signature of the determination to support molybdenum-99 (Mo-
99) production. For the reasons set forth in the Department's
``Analysis of Potential Impacts of Certain Uranium Transactions on the
Domestic Uranium Mining, Conversion, and Enrichment Industries,'' which
is incorporated into the determination, the Secretary determined that
these transactions will not have an adverse material impact on the
domestic uranium mining, conversion, or enrichment industries.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Requests for additional information
may be sent to Peter Rocco: [email protected] or (202)
287-1018.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Authority and Background
The Department of Energy (``the Department'') holds limited
inventories of uranium in various forms and quantities that have been
declared as excess and are not dedicated to U.S. national security
missions. Within DOE, the National Nuclear Security Administration
(NNSA) manages these inventories to carry out critical missions,
including minimizing the use of highly enriched uranium (HEU) in
civilian applications. NNSA down-blends excess HEU from these
inventories to high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU)--a subset of
low enriched uranium (LEU) enriched above the commercial level of 5
wt.-% and below 20 wt.-% of the isotope U-235--to be used as fuel for
research reactors and target material for the production of critical
medical isotopes.
This notice involves the sale, lease, or transfer of HALEU to
support molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) producers. Leases covered by this
determination fulfill a directive in the American Medical Isotopes
Production Act of 2012 (Pub. L. 112-239, Division C, Title XXXI,
Subtitle F, 42 U.S.C. 2065) for the Department to establish a program
to make HALEU available, through lease contracts, for the production of
Mo-99 for medical uses. The sales, leases, or transfers covered by this
determination also support U.S. nuclear nonproliferation initiatives by
down-blending HEU and encouraging the use of HALEU in civilian
applications in lieu of HEU.
These sales, leases, or transfers are conducted in accordance with
the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2011 et seq., ``AEA''), as
amended, and other applicable laws. Specifically, title I, chapters 6
and 14 of the AEA authorize DOE to sell or transfer special nuclear
material, including HALEU. The USEC Privatization Act (Pub. L. 104-134,
42 U.S.C. 2297h et seq.), however, places certain limitations on DOE's
authority to sell or transfer uranium from its excess uranium
inventory. Specifically, under section 3112(d)(2) of the USEC
Privatization Act (42 U.S.C. 2297h-10(d)(2)), DOE may make certain
sales or transfers of natural uranium or LEU if the Secretary
determines that the sales ``will not have an adverse material impact on
the domestic uranium mining, conversion, or enrichment industry, taking
into account the sales of uranium under the Russian HEU Agreement and
the Suspension Agreement,''
On November 22, 2023, the Secretary of Energy issued a
determination covering the sale, lease, or transfer of up to 750 kgU of
HALEU per year during the two-year period following signing of the
determination to support Mo-99 production. For the reasons set forth in
the Department's ``Analysis of Potential Impacts of Certain Uranium
Transactions on the Domestic Uranium Mining, Conversion, and Enrichment
Industries,'' which is incorporated into the determination, the
Secretary determined that these transactions will not have an adverse
material impact on the domestic uranium mining,
[[Page 89437]]
conversion, or enrichment industries. In accordance with section 306(a)
of Division D, Title III of the Consolidated and Further Continuing
Appropriations Act, 2015 (Pub. L. 113-235), this determination is valid
for no more than two calendar years following the date of the
determination.
Signing Authority
This document of the Department of Energy was signed on December
18, 2023, by Corey Hinderstein, Deputy Administrator for Defense
Nuclear Nonproliferation, pursuant to delegated authority from the
Secretary of Energy. The 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 December 21, 2023.
Treena V. Garrett,
Federal Register Liaison Officer, U.S. Department of Energy.
Set forth below is the full text of the Secretarial Determination.
Secretarial Determination for the Sale, Lease, or Transfer of Certain
High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium for the Next Two Years
I determine that the sale, lease, or transfer of up to 750
kilograms uranium (kgU) of high-assay low-enriched uranium (above 5,
but less than 20 weight percent uranium-235) per calendar year
subsequent to signing this determination to support molybdenum-99
production will not have an adverse material impact on the domestic
uranium mining, conversion, or enrichment industries. I base my
conclusions on the Department's Analysis of Potential Impacts of
Certain Uranium Transactions on the Domestic Uranium Mining,
Conversion, and Enrichment Industries, which is incorporated herein. I
have considered, inter alia, the requirements of the USEC Privatization
Act of 1996 (42 U.S.C. 2297h et seq.), the nature of uranium markets,
and the current status of the domestic uranium industries. I have also
taken into account the sales of uranium under the Agreement Between the
Government of the United States of America and the Government of the
Russian Federation Concerning the Disposition of Highly Enriched
Uranium Extracted from Nuclear Weapons (``Russian HEU Agreement'') and
the Agreement Suspending the Antidumping Investigation on Uranium From
the Russian Federation (``Suspension Agreement'').
Jennifer Granholm
Date: November 22, 2023
Set forth below is the full text of the Analysis of Potential
Impacts of Certain Uranium Transactions on the Domestic Uranium Mining,
Conversion, and Enrichment Industries.
Analysis of Potential Impacts of Certain Uranium Transactions on the
Domestic Uranium Mining, Conversion, and Enrichment Industries
I. Introduction
A. Legal Authority
The Department of Energy (DOE) manages its excess uranium inventory
in accordance with the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 (42 U.S.C. 2011 et
seq., ``AEA''), as amended, and other applicable laws. Specifically,
Title I, Chapters 6 and 14 of the AEA authorize DOE to sell or transfer
special nuclear material. Low-enriched uranium (LEU) is a type of
special nuclear material.
The USEC Privatization Act (Pub. L. 104-134, 42 U.S.C. 2297h et
seq.) places certain limitations on DOE's authority to sell or transfer
uranium from its excess uranium inventory. Specifically, under section
3112(d)(2)(B) of the USEC Privatization Act (42 U.S.C. 2297h
10(d)(2)(B)), DOE may make certain sales or transfers of natural
uranium or LEU \1\ if:
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\1\ Section 3102 of the USEC Privatization Act defines ``low-
enriched uranium'' as ``uranium enriched to less than 20 percent of
the uranium-235 isotope, including that which is derived from highly
enriched uranium.'' 42 U.S.C. 2297h(5). Section 3112A of the USEC
Privatization Act also provides a definition of LEU: ``a uranium
product in any form, including uranium hexafluoride (UF6) and
uranium oxide (UO2), in which the uranium contains less than 20
percent uranium-235, including natural uranium, without regard to
whether the uranium is incorporated into fuel rods or complete fuel
assemblies.'' 42 U.S.C. 2297h-10a(a)(5). Both definitions encompass
HALEU, which is U-235 enriched between 5%-20%. Thus, HALEU is a form
of LEU and falls within the Secretarial Determination requirement.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
(A) The President determines that the material is not necessary for
national security needs;
(B) The Secretary determines that the sale of the material will not
have an adverse material impact on the domestic uranium mining,
conversion, or enrichment industry, taking into account the sales of
uranium under the Russian HEU Agreement and the Suspension Agreement;
and,
(C) The price paid to the Secretary will not be less than the fair
market value of the material.
Regarding condition (A): for purposes of section 3112(d)(2)(A) of
the USEC Privatization Act, DOE has historically treated material not
included in the Nuclear Weapons Stockpile Memorandum (a memorandum
signed by the President that identifies uranium necessary for defense
needs) as being excess to national security needs. None of the material
included in the proposed transactions was included in the most recent
Nuclear Weapons Stockpile Memorandum.
This analysis focuses on condition B above.
Regarding condition (C): the price paid to the Secretary will not
be less than the fair market value of the LEU sold, transferred, or
leased. Specifically, for HALEU leased under the ULTB Program, the
lease contracts contain a pricing mechanism to ensure that the
Department receives the prevailing market value for its material, as
required by AMIPA. For other HALEU sales or transfers, the contracts
will require cash payment for the fair market value of the HALEU sold.
Accordingly, all sale or lease transactions will comply with section
3112(d)(2)(C), and the fair market value will be determined at the time
of the transaction.
The validity of any determination under this section is limited to
no more than two calendar years subsequent to the determination.\2\ The
USEC Privatization Act also permits sales or transfers of enriched
uranium for governmental purposes under section 3112(e), which are not
subject to the limitations imposed by section 3112(d).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\2\ See section 306(a) of Division D, Title III of the
Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015 (Pub.
L. 113-235).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
B. Transactions Considered in This Analysis
Two types of potential transactions are considered in this
analysis: (1) the lease of LEU for the production of molybdenum-99 (Mo-
99) pursuant to the American Medical Isotopes Production Act of 2012
(AMIPA); \3\ and (2) the sale or transfer of LEU to producers for use
in medical isotope development and production, which would enable the
material to be used for Mo-99 production outside of AMIPA requirements.
The exact uses of LEU under these transactions and designs of
facilities in which the LEU would be utilized vary by producer, but
fission-based production usually involves fabrication or preparation of
uranium
[[Page 89438]]
for irradiation, followed by chemical processing to extract the Mo-99
for packaging into a generator and delivery to a radiopharmacy.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\3\ Public Law 112-239, Division C, Title XXXI, Subtitle F, 42
U.S.C. 2065.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The first type of transaction would be under AMIPA. These transfers
would support the Uranium Lease and Take Back (ULTB) program, was
established under AMIPA and enables DOE to lease LEU to produce Mo-99
in the United States without the use of highly enriched uranium (HEU).
The second type of transaction considered in this analysis is a
sale or transfer of LEU to producers for use in medical isotope
development and production processes, including Mo-99, that are not
under the ULTB program and do not meet the criteria of section
3112(e)(3) of the USEC Privatization Act for governmental purposes.
Both types of transactions require a Secretarial Determination
under section 3112(d)(2)(B) of the USEC Privatization Act as well as
meeting the other criteria of section 3112(d)(2).
The materials considered in this analysis would be sold, leased, or
transferred during the two-year period following the signing of the
Secretarial Determination and would consist of no more than 750 kgU of
HALEU in any year. Based on semi-annual HALEU demand surveys conducted
to determine producers' material needs, DOE's National Nuclear Security
Administration (DOE/NNSA) assessed 750 kgU of HALEU for each year
covered by this determination.
Assuming a tails assay of 0.20 wt.-% U-235, this quantity would be
equivalent to approximately 28,700 kgU of natural uranium hexafluoride
and approximately 33,850 separative work units (``SWU'') to produce 750
kgU of HALEU at 19.75 weight-% U-235.\4\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\4\ The calculation is based on the Y-12 Standard Specification
for LEU Metal Supply for Mo-99 Isotope Production, which assumes
deliveries of quantities of 19.75 wt.-% LEU. If any sale, lease, or
transfer includes material at an assay other than 19.75 wt.-%, the
amount will be converted so that the total amount in any year
covered by this Determination is equivalent to no more than 750 kgU
at 19.75 wt.-%.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
II. Analytical Approach
The analytical approach relied on for previous Secretarial
Determinations covering the sale, transfer, or lease of excess uranium
for Mo-99 development and production (80 FR 65728, Oct. 27, 2015), the
ULTB program (81 FR 1409, Jan. 12, 2016), and the Secretarial
Determinations for the Sale, Lease or Transfer of Uranium (signed and
dated Nov. 26, 2019 and Nov. 23, 2021, respectively) is repeated here
and updated to the extent necessary.
This analysis evaluates the state of the domestic uranium
industries and the relevant impacts if DOE goes forward with these
potential transactions. DOE has developed a set of factors that this
analysis considers in assessing whether DOE's uranium sales and
transfers will have an ``adverse material impact'' on the domestic
uranium mining, conversion, or enrichment industry:
1. Prices
2. Production at existing facilities
3. Employment levels in the industry
4. Changes in capital improvement plans and development of future
facilities
5. Long-term viability and health of the industry
6. Russian HEU Agreement and Russian Suspension Agreement
While no single factor is dispositive of the issue, DOE believes
that these factors are representative of the types of impacts that the
proposed sale, lease, or transfer may have on the domestic uranium
industries. Not every factor will necessarily be relevant on a given
occasion or to a particular industry; DOE intends this list of factors
only as a guide to its analysis.
III. Assessment of Potential Impacts
1. Prices
There is currently no domestic commercial supplier for HALEU.
Therefore, there is no established market price for HALEU. DOE sets a
price for HALEU based on a combination of commercial market price
components for LEU, plus a charge for the separative work above the 5%
LEU limit reflecting the historical cost to DOE to produce this
material. Through the end of 2022, the market value of 4.95% enriched
LEU rose 200% from its low point in October 2017. The market price rose
90% from December 2020 through December 2022. Industry analysts
forecast a continued increase in the market value of LEU.\5\ The
relatively small quantities of HALEU provided by DOE have not impacted
the price increases in this market, and DOE does not expect that they
would impact price in the future.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\5\ Energy Resources International, Inc. (ERI), Nuclear Fuel
Cycle Supply and Price Report, ERI-2006-2202/December 2022.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Further, with no domestic commercial provider for HALEU, the DOE
sales and leases of HALEU would not displace production or affect
prices among the commercial domestic uranium mining, conversion, or
enrichment industries. Even if it did, the amount would be so small
that the effects would be minimal.
2. Production at Existing Facilities
An analysis of the impact of the proposed sales and leases based on
an assessment of production at existing facilities is straightforward.
There is currently no domestic commercial supplier of HALEU in the
United States. Due to the lack of a sufficient near-term market, owners
and operators of enrichment facilities have not developed HALEU
enrichment capability to produce uranium enriched to 19.75 wt.-% U-235.
With the closing of the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant in 2013, the
only uranium enrichment facility in the United States operating at
commercial scale is the URENCO USA facility operated by Louisiana
Energy Services, LLC (LES), in Eunice, New Mexico, which is currently
licensed by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to possess uranium
only up to 5.5 wt. % U 235.\6\
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\6\ U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Materials License.
License Number SNM-2010, Amendment 57, Docket Number 70-3103.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Further, it is not feasible for commercial Mo-99 producers to use
commercially available assays of LEU (i.e., LEU enriched to 5.5 wt.-%
U-235 or less) instead of HALEU. Given the specialized uses, designs,
and regulatory requirements of these isotope producers, the use of
commercial-assay LEU would prevent the facility or target from
achieving the same performance or efficiency and thus from being used
for their intended purposes.
Although the DOE sales and leases of HALEU would not displace
production among the commercial domestic uranium mining, conversion, or
enrichment industries, even if it did, the amount would be so small
that the effects would be minimal. With respect to these industries, to
produce the amount of HALEU in the proposed sales and leases from
primary production would require approximately 75,000 pounds of uranium
concentrates (U3O8), 28,700 kgU of conversion services, and 33,800 SWU
of enrichment services. By comparison, the entire domestic fleet of
nuclear reactors in 2020 required approximately 43 million pounds of
U3O8, 16.2 million kgU of conversion services, and about 14.8 million
SWU.\7\ Therefore, the feed, conversion, and SWU content of the DOE
material represents 0.17%, 0.17%, and 0.22% of annual domestic
requirements, respectively.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\7\ The global requirements information comes from an analysis
prepared by Energy Resources International, Inc. (ERI), Nuclear Fuel
Cycle Supply and Price Report, ERI-2006-2101/June 2021.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
The domestic conversion industry consists of only one facility that
[[Page 89439]]
historically produced between 10 million kgU and 12 million kgU per
year and reduced its capability to 7 million kgU in 2017. Honeywell,
the owner of that facility, suspended operation in 2018, but resumed
operation in July 2023 at 7 million kgU per year. Thus, although there
has been no conversion occurring in the United States for several
years, there are signs of the market improving given Honeywell's recent
restart. As mentioned above, there is only one currently operating
commercial enrichment facility, URENCO USA's subsidiary, LES, in the
United States. The total capacity of that facility is 4.9 million SWU.
In October 2023, American Centrifuge Operating, LLC (ACO), a
subsidiary of the U.S. company, Centrus Energy Corp. (Centrus), began
enrichment operations on a demonstration basis at DOE's facility in
Piketon, Ohio.\8\ The initial production goal is 20 kgU 19.75% HALEU.
ACO/Centrus is discussed at length in Section 4 below.
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\8\ HALEU Demonstration Project Starts Enrichment Operations in
Ohio [verbar] Department of Energy.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Employment Levels in the Industry
As stated above, DOE sales and leases of HALEU would not displace
production among the commercial domestic uranium mining, conversion, or
enrichment industries, and therefore will not affect employment levels
in these industries.
4. Changes in Capital Improvement Plans and Development of Future
Facilities
Although there is currently no domestic uranium enrichment
capability to produce HALEU, there have been recent noteworthy
developments. In 2019, the Department entered into a cost-shared
contract for a HALEU Demonstration Program with ACO to deploy a 16-
machine cascade of AC-100 M centrifuges in Piketon, Ohio to produce
19.75 wt.-% U-235 with U.S.-origin enrichment technology that will
result in a small quantity of HALEU. In June 2021, the NRC approved
ACO's license amendment request to produce HALEU with an enrichment
assay of up to 20 wt.-% U-235 at the Piketon facility. In November
2022, DOE announced another cost-shared award with ACO, equating to
approximately $150 million and including a $30 million cost share
during the first year to start up and operate the 16 centrifuges at the
Piketon facility. In June 2023, ACO received NRC approval to introduce
uranium hexafluoride into its cascade following completion of an
operational readiness review.\9\ As part of the 2022 award, ACO must
produce 20 kilograms of 19.75% enriched HALEU by December 31, 2023.
Following completion of the demonstration, the contract calls for
production at an annual rate of 900 kg of HALEU in 2024 with additional
options to produce more material under the contract in future years,
all subject to appropriations.\10\
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\9\ ``Centrus gets NRC's okay to introduce uranium in HALEU
demonstration cascade.'' https://www.ans.org/news/article-5092/centrus-gets-nrcs-okay-to-introduce-uranium-in-haleu-demonstration-cascade/.
\10\ American Centrifuge Plant and HALEU, from an analysis
prepared by Energy Resources International, Inc. (ERI), Nuclear Fuel
Cycle Supply and Price Report, ERI-2006-2202/December 2022.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Additionally, URENCO USA provided a notice to the NRC in April 2021
of its intent to amend the URENCO USA license to increase the
enrichment level up to 10 wt.-% U-235.\11\ URENCO USA expects to have
capability to deliver HALEU up to 10 wt.-% U-235 in 2024. URENCO USA
also has longer term plans to produce up to 19.75 wt.-% U-235.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\11\ Louisiana Energy Services, LLC, dba Urenco USA, Submittal
of License Amendment Request for Revision for MCNP6 Validation
Report (LAR 21-03) (nrc.gov).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
However, the relatively small amounts of material covered by this
Determination have no impact on capital improvement plans and
development of future facilities including mines, conversion
facilities, and enrichment plants.
5. Long-Term Viability and Health of the Industry
There is currently no commercial supplier of HALEU in the United
States. Therefore, there is no long-term industry impact to assess.
During the period covered by this Determination, Centrus/ACO may begin
producing up to 900 kgU annually in both 2024 and 2025. However, DOE
providing a maximum of 750 kgU annually over the same time period to a
specific subset of end users--Mo-99 producers--would not displace
production by Centrus/ACO, given DOE's own estimate of extant HALEU
demand (up to 40 metric tons by 2029-30).\12\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\12\ U.S. Department of Energy to Acquire High-Assay Low-
Enriched Uranium Material [verbar] Department of Energy.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. Russian HEU Agreement and Russian Suspension Agreement
The Russian HEU Agreement ended in December 2013. The Suspension
Agreement was extended on October 5, 2020 (85 FR 64112) and remains in
force through 2040 with annual export limits on Russian enriched
uranium product sold to U.S. utilities at commercially available assays
(e.g., 5 wt.-% U-235).\13\ The Suspension Agreement allows for the sale
of up to the following amounts of U-235 per year in 2023, 2024, and
2025 respectively: 25,471 kg, 20,968 kg, and 20,697 kg. The relatively
small amount of material covered by this Determination is minimal
compared to domestic needs for LEU and imports from the Russian
Federation.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\13\ 2020 Amendment to the Agreement Suspending the Antidumping
Investigation on Uranium From the Russian Federation, Federal
Register/Vol. 85, No. 197/Friday, October 9, 2020/Notices https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2020/10/09/2020-22431/2020-amendment-to-the-agreementsuspending-the-antidumping-investigation-on-uranium-from-the-russian.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
IV. Conclusion
With respect to the six factors listed above to assess market
impacts:
1. The relatively small amounts of material covered by this
Determination have no impact on the price of HALEU, for which there is
currently no domestic commercial market price.
2. There are new developments in the industry, but production
timelines will not be impacted in the timeframe for this Determination.
3. The relatively small amounts of material covered by this
Determination have no impact on employment levels in the mining,
conversion, or enrichment industries.
4. New market developments will not mature during this
Determination period to a point where the market could be impacted by
DOE sales, leases, or transfers.
5. The relatively small amounts of material covered by this
Determination have no impact on the long-term viability and health of
the mining, conversion, and enrichment industries.
6. The Russian HEU Agreement and Suspension Agreement are not
factors because there is no HALEU currently being imported from Russia
to the United States.
Thus, DOE concludes that the sale, lease, or transfer of up to 750
kgU of HALEU per year to support the development and production of Mo-
99 will not have an adverse material impact on the domestic uranium
mining, conversion, or enrichment industry, taking into account the
ended Russian HEU Agreement and extended Russian Suspension Agreement.
[FR Doc. 2023-28501 Filed 12-26-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P