# Nuclear Fuel Services > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Nuclear_Fuel_Services > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Nuclear_Fuel_Services.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_Fuel_Services > Source revision: 1329297703 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American fuel supplier company}} '''Nuclear Fuel Services''' Inc. (NFS) is an American company that has been a major supplier of [fuel](/source/fuel) for the [United States Navy](/source/United_States_Navy)'s fleet of nuclear-powered vessels since the 1960s. In recent years it has also [reprocessed](/source/Nuclear_reprocessing) [weapons-grade uranium](/source/weapons-grade_uranium) into [nuclear reactor](/source/nuclear_reactor) fuel. It operates a {{convert|65|acre|m2|adj=on}} gated complex in [Erwin, Tennessee](/source/Erwin%2C_Tennessee).{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/worldlatest/story/0,,-6863800,00.html| title=Tenn. Nuclear Fuel Problems Kept Secret| date=August 20, 2007| first=Duncan| last=Mansfield| accessdate=2007-08-21 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20071030125346/http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6863800,00.html |archivedate = 2007-10-30| location=London| work=The Guardian}} NFS's original facility was based in [Ashford, New York](/source/Ashford%2C_New_York) from 1964 to 1972, a site now known as the [West Valley Demonstration Project](/source/West_Valley_Demonstration_Project).{{cite web |url=http://www.wv.doe.gov/Site_History.html |title=West Valley Demonstration Project Nuclear Timeline |publisher=U.S. Department of Energy |accessdate=March 20, 2015}} NFS is a subsidiary of [BWX Technologies](/source/BWX_Technologies), Inc. The company has emerged as America's leader in converting surplus weapons-grade uranium from U.S. [Cold War](/source/Cold_War) stockpiles into valuable low-enriched uranium fuel material to power commercial nuclear power plants. Known as downblending, the proprietary NFS process is currently being used to convert about 40 metric tons of [highly enriched uranium](/source/highly_enriched_uranium) (HEU) into fuel material for the [Tennessee Valley Authority](/source/Tennessee_Valley_Authority). In 2007, the company was also awarded a contract by the [U.S. Department of Energy](/source/U.S._Department_of_Energy)'s (DOE) [National Nuclear Security Administration](/source/National_Nuclear_Security_Administration) to convert 17.4 metric tons of HEU into material for America's Reliable Fuel Supply Program. The company's downblending is also an important resource for the round up of other nuclear materials around the world to reduce the chance of proliferation by rogue nations or terrorists. NFS is also engaged as a team member at important nuclear projects at other DOE sites, such as the Mixed Oxide (MOX) Fuel Fabrication Facility at Savannah River and the cleanup of an old laboratory at the [Oak Ridge National Laboratory](/source/Oak_Ridge_National_Laboratory). == NRC events == On May 11, 2008, the [Nuclear Regulatory Commission](/source/Nuclear_Regulatory_Commission) released information on emergency notification of two 2006 incidents at the Erwin plant. The first incident involved a leak of liquid containing highly enriched uranium, which could have resulted in a [criticality incident](/source/criticality_incident).{{cite news| url=https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/event-status/event/2008/20080512en.html#en42393| title=NRC Event Notification Report 42393 for May 12, 2008| date=May 12, 2008| first=United States| last=Nuclear Regulatory Commission|accessdate=2009-06-07}} The second incident involved an unmanaged 'accumulation point' - where a [critical mass](/source/critical_mass) of uranium could have accumulated - was discovered while reacting to the first incident. In other words, no system protections were in place to prevent a solution leak from entering the bottom of an elevator shaft in the plant. The result of material accumulated in a confined space could be a criticality incident.{{cite news| url=https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/event-status/event/2008/20080512en.html#en42411| title=NRC Event Notification Report 42411 for May 12, 2008| date=May 12, 2008| first=United States| last=Nuclear Regulatory Commission|accessdate=2009-06-07}} ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== * [https://www.bwxt.com/sectors/nuclear-fuel/nuclear-fuel-services/ Nuclear Fuel Services website] {{Authority control}} Category:Companies based in Tennessee Category:Nuclear fuel companies Category:Nuclear technology in the United States Category:Erwin, Tennessee --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Nuclear Fuel Services](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_Fuel_Services) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_Fuel_Services?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.