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Urenco Centec. The organisation and its services (1976)

Author	Urenco, Centec
Date	June 1976
Classification	1.01.8.30/04 (URENCO/UCN ALMELO - GENERAL)
Front

Nuclear power stations are playing an ever increasing role in the generation of 
electrical energy. This means that one of the major concerns of utilities and of 
industry throughout the world is to be sure that they can obtain uninterrupted 
supplies of enriched uranium. To meet the demands of the projected nuclear 
programmes, the existing enrichment capacity in the Western World must be 
substantially increased. Among the advantages of the centrifuge process are that 
enrichment plants need only be of a modest size; that they can be constructed on a 
short time scale; that their consumption of electricity is low, and yet their capital 
costs are comparable with those of rival processes. These advantages will become 
more and more important.
Under the Treaty of Almelo, signed in March 1970, the Federal Republic of 
Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom agreed to collaborate in the 
tripartite industrial exploitation of the gas centrifuge process for the enrichment of 
uranium. This Agreement led to the formation of the organisation known as 
Urenco/Centec and has enabled the operating experience gained from British, 
Dutch and German pilot plants and from the many years of research and 
development work carried out in the three countries to be used in the production 
plants under construction at Almelo in the Netherlands and at Capenhurst in 
England. These new plants, which will each have a capacity of 200 tonnes of 
separative work per annum, demonstrate the flexibility of the centrifuge process in 
that they will be commissioned progressively as the centrifuges are installed. 
Enriched uranium-already being produced at the pilot plants presently in operation-
will also be produced from the two new plants later this year and the plants will be 
operating at full capacity in 1978. Further capacity will be progressively installed 
by the Urenco Enterprises to reach a total of 2000 tonnes of separative work per 
annum by 1982.
Long-term contracts have already been signed which fully utilise this capacity and 
further contracts, both in the tripartite countries and elsewhere, are currently being 
negotiated. 
Urenco/Centec look forward to a future of continuing expansion of our production 
facilities and wider exploitation of our technology so that we can play our full part 
in meeting the enrichment needs of the nuclear industry throughout the world.

Chairman of the Board and Beirat
June I976

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