SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Purpose of the RFI: The primary purpose of this RFI is to gather comprehensive insights from industry and other interested stakeholders regarding the potential beneficial reuse of DOE's heavy water inventory at SRS. DOE-EM seeks to explore innovative pathways for repurposing this valuable material to address critical domestic needs. Specifically, this RFI aims to:

• Identify potential applications for heavy water, deuterium, or derived isotopes that can directly benefit U.S. domestic markets and strengthen national supply chains.
• Assess technical capabilities for handling, processing, de-tritiating, and purifying heavy water, particularly where tritium is present.
• Evaluate collaboration frameworks with external partners, including potential on-site facility development at SRS, to facilitate the efficient utilization of the heavy water.
• Inform future strategy for the long-term management of the heavy water inventory, potentially leading to future solicitation or partnership opportunities.

This RFI is a crucial step in DOE-EM's commitment to responsible stewardship of its resources and to fostering innovation that supports U.S. national interests.

SRS currently stores approximately 530,000 gallons of heavy water (deuterium oxide, D2O) located at the −40 level in the moderator storage tank in C, K, and L reactor buildings and drums stored in L and K reactor facilities. This inventory, stored in various moderator tanks and drums, exhibits varying levels of contaminants, tritium, and deuterium enrichment. The heavy water was previously utilized as a moderator in tritium/plutonium production reactors and was retained due to its high deuterium concentration, making it a valuable resource. DOE-EM recognizes the potential value of this material for addressing national needs for limited-supply isotopes, or for various domestic industrial applications such as neutron moderation, research ( printed page 45800) and development, medical isotope production, or reactor coolant.

Partnering with interested parties for the beneficial reuse of this heavy water offers an attractive alternative for this legacy material. DOE-EM intends to facilitate access to this valuable resource. However, prospective industry partners would be solely responsible for the subsequent extraction of isotopes, de-tritiation, purification, or repurposing of the material, including the management and disposal of any waste streams or byproducts generated from these activities.

This RFI seeks information on innovative approaches for the beneficial reuse of heavy water at SRS in alignment with DOE's strategic goals. Furthermore, this RFI seeks to ensure that the heavy water inventory at SRS contributes directly to U.S. national interests by fostering domestic research, development, and production capabilities. Therefore, information on how to prioritize and demonstrate a clear benefit to U.S.-based entities and markets are of particular interest.

Currently, DOE does not possess a dedicated facility for the de-tritiation of heavy water. While the Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) has demonstrated expertise in de-tritiation and can support the development of project plans, cost estimates, and independent reviews, any direct engagement with SRNL for such services would need to be negotiated separately between the interested party and SRNL. Industry partners are free to pursue collaboration with any entity they deem appropriate for de-tritiation or other processing needs.

Furthermore, DOE may have an interest in receiving and utilizing the tritium once it has been successfully separated from the heavy water by an industry partner. This potential arrangement would provide a beneficial disposition pathway for the tritium and support internal DOE programmatic requirements.

THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ONLY. THIS NOTICE DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT (FOA). NO FOA EXISTS AT THIS TIME. DOE will not provide funding or compensation for any information submitted in response to this RFI. This RFI is not seeking or accepting applications for financial assistance, and a response to this RFI will not be viewed as a binding commitment to develop or pursue the ideas discussed. No material submitted for review will be returned.

Questions seeking input on potential collaboration with DOE-EM on Heavy Water Inventory: To help identify and prioritize opportunities for DOE-EM to potentially collaborate with interested parties for the reuse of the heavy water inventory at SRS, DOE-EM is seeking information from potential partners including, but not limited to:

• Organizations with a demonstrated need for deuterium or other isotopes with limited supplies and no substitutes, or for other industrial applications.
• Entities with expertise in heavy water processing, purification, or de-tritiation technologies.
• Research institutions or companies interested in developing new uses for heavy water or its constituents.
• Parties with capabilities to manage or utilize tritiated heavy water safely and effectively.
• Potential partners interested in collaborating on the development of a project plan for heavy water reuse, including cost estimation and independent review support.
• Parties interested in the possibility of leasing land or developing facilities on the SRS site for heavy water repurposing or processing activities.
• Parties with demonstrated commitment to domestic utilization and the development of U.S.-based capabilities.

The purpose of this RFI is solely to solicit input for DOE-EM's consideration to inform possible engagement with potential partners. DOE-EM will not provide funding or compensation for any information submitted in response to this RFI, and DOE-EM may use information submitted to this RFI on a non-attribution basis.

Specific Questions: To facilitate a comprehensive response, please address the following questions, categorizing your input as outlined.

Category 1: Technical & Operational Capabilities

A. Heavy Water Needs and Applications

1. What specific needs or demands does your organization have for heavy water, deuterium, or other isotopes that could potentially be met by the SRS inventory?

2. What potential applications or markets does your organization foresee for the heavy water from SRS, beyond those explicitly mentioned ( e.g., deuterium, cooling)?

3. How would your proposed utilization of the heavy water and any resulting products primarily benefit U.S. domestic needs and contribute to the resilience of the U.S. isotope supply chain?

4. Please outline any plans for the domestic processing, distribution, and end-use of heavy water or its derived products within the U.S.

B. Handling and Processing Expertise

5. Describe your organization's technical capabilities and experience in handling, processing, or utilizing heavy water, particularly if it contains tritium. Please provide specific examples of relevant projects or expertise.

6. Are there any innovative approaches or technologies your organization could apply to the de-tritiation or purification of heavy water, especially considering DOE's current lack of a dedicated de-tritiation facility?

C. Volume Requirements and Scalability

7. What are your proposed plan's heavy water volume requirements? Please specify:

8. The minimum viable quantity of heavy water required to initiate your proposed plan.

9. The optimal quantity of heavy water for maximizing the impact or efficiency of your plan.

10. How your plan's scalability accommodates varying amounts from the available inventory.

D. Waste Management and Byproducts

11. What are your proposed plans for the management and disposal of any waste streams or byproducts generated from your processing or repurposing activities involving the SRS heavy water?

12. If your process involves the separation of tritium, please describe its anticipated form ( e.g., tritiated water (HTO), tritium gas (HT)).

13. Would your organization be open to returning any separated tritium to DOE?

E. Anticipated Challenges and Mitigation

14. What are the key technical, logistical, or regulatory challenges your organization anticipates in utilizing the heavy water from SRS?

15. How would you propose to address these identified challenges?

Category 2: Site Interest & Logistical Considerations

A. Collaboration with DOE-EM

1. How would your organization propose collaborating with DOE-EM to facilitate the reuse of the SRS heavy water inventory? This could include involvement in de-tritiation, purification, or direct utilization. ( printed page 45801)

B. On-Site Facility Requirements

2. Would your organization be interested in exploring the possibility of leasing land or developing a facility on the SRS site for heavy water processing, repurposing, or related activities?

3. If interested in an on-site facility, please provide details on your potential interest and any preliminary requirements or considerations, such as:

• What kind of operational footprint (e.g., land area, building size) would your proposed activities require?
• What specific utility requirements (e.g., water, power, specialized gas lines) would your facility need?
• What existing site infrastructure (e.g., access roads, security, waste handling) would be critical for your operations?
• What information would you need to determine the suitability of a specific site location within SRS?

Comment Submission Procedures:

1. Electronic Submission: Responses must be submitted electronically via email to the address specified in the RFI: heavywaterrfi@doe.go v. The subject line of the email must clearly state “EM Heavy Water RFI Collaboration Response.”

2. File Format and Size: All responses must be submitted as a Microsoft Word document (.doc/.docx). The document should be no more than 10 pages in length, use black, Times New Roman, 12-point font, and have 1-inch margins. The total file size cannot exceed 2MB.

Respondents should embed any tables, charts, or figures directly within the Word document rather than as separate attachments, to maintain the specified file count and simplify processing.

3. No Other Means of Submission: Responses submitted via any other means ( e.g., postal mail, fax, hand delivery) will not be considered.

4. Acknowledgement of Receipt: Upon successful electronic submission, respondents will receive an automated email confirmation of receipt. This confirmation will serve as proof that the submission was received by DOE.

5. Confidential Business Information (CBI): Pursuant to 10 CFR 1004.11, any person submitting information that he or she believes to be confidential and exempt by law from public disclosure should submit via email two well-marked copies: one copy of the document marked “confidential” including all the information believed to be confidential, and one copy of the document marked “non-confidential” with the information believed to be confidential deleted. Submit these documents via email. For the non-confidential version, respondents should replace CBI with “[REDACTED]” or similar placeholders to maintain document readability and context where possible. DOE will make its own determination about the confidential status of the information and treat it according to its determination.

Signing Authority: This document of the Department of Energy was signed on July 16, 2026, by Timothy J. Walsh, Assistant Secretary, Office of Environmental Management, 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 .

91 FR 45799