Centrus Energy (LEU) 10-Q2023 Q3 Quarterly report

The unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements of Centrus (the “Company”), which include the accounts of the Company, its principal subsidiary, Enrichment Corp., and its other subsidiaries, as of September 30, 2023, and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, and 2022, have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The unaudited Consolidated Balance Sheet as of December 31, 2022, was derived from audited Consolidated Financial Statements, but does not include all disclosures required by generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”). In the opinion of management, the unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements reflect all adjustments, including normal recurring adjustments, necessary for a fair statement of the financial results for the interim period. Certain information and notes normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP have been omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. All material intercompany transactions have been eliminated. The Company’s components of comprehensive income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, are insignificant.

The Company records foreign currency transaction gains and losses, realized and unrealized, and foreign exchange gains and losses due to re-measurement of monetary assets and liabilities that are not denominated in U.S. dollars in other income, net in the consolidated statements of operations.

The following table presents revenue from SWU and uranium sales disaggregated by geographical region based on the billing addresses of customers (in millions):

The following table presents changes in contract liability balances (in millions):

Previously deferred sales and advances from customers recognized in revenue totaled $23.6 million and $59.7 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

Revenue for the Technical Solutions segment, representing the Company’s technical, manufacturing, engineering, procurement, construction, and operations services offered to public and private sector customers, is recognized over the contractual period as services are rendered.

Under the HALEU Operation Contract, DOE is obligated to provide the 5B cylinders necessary to collect the output of the cascade, but supply chain challenges have created difficulties for DOE in securing enough 5B cylinders for the entire year. Centrus’ delivery of the 900 kilograms is subject to the ability of DOE to provide the 5B cylinders on a timeline that allows for continuous production throughout the year. Centrus anticipates that any potential bottleneck in obtaining 5B cylinders will be temporary and that the supply chain for the 5B cylinders will ramp up over time now that HALEU production is under way.

To support the DOE in mitigating the risk of delayed delivery of 5B cylinders, the Company received technical direction from the DOE to procure compliant 5B cylinders and components while the contractual obligation to furnish compliant 5B cylinders under the HALEU Operation Contract continues to rest with the DOE. The Company is also performing additional work on infrastructure and facility repairs under DOE’s technical direction. On September 28, 2023, the DOE modified the HALEU Operation Contract to incorporate additional scope, which are not subject to cost-share, for infrastructure and facility repairs, and costs associated with 5B cylinder refurbishment, for an estimated additional contract value of $5.8 million. On October 19, 2023, the DOE provided additional funding of $5.5 million for the additional scope under the HALEU Operation Contract.

The Company does not have a contractual obligation to perform work in excess of the funding provided by the DOE. If the DOE does not commit to additional costs above the existing funding, the Company may incur material additional costs or losses in future periods that could have an adverse impact on its financial condition and liquidity.

The following table reconciles the Company’s cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash as presented on the Consolidated Balance Sheets to amounts on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (in millions):

The Company has $14.3 million denominated in euros as of September 30, 2023 and recorded $0.6 million in transaction losses in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023.

The following table provides additional detail regarding the Company’s deposits for financial assurance (in millions):

Centrus holds uranium at licensed locations (e.g., fabricators) in the form of natural uranium hexafluoride and as the uranium component of LEU in transit to meet book transfer requests by customers and suppliers. Centrus also holds SWU as the SWU component of LEU at licensed locations or in transit to meet book transfer requests by customers and suppliers. Fabricators process LEU into fuel for use in nuclear reactors. Components of inventories are as follows (in millions):

Inventories are valued at the lower of cost or net realizable value.

Intangible assets originated from the Company’s reorganization and application of fresh start accounting as of the date the Company emerged from bankruptcy, September 30, 2014, and reflect the conditions at that time. The intangible asset related to the Company’s sales Order Book is amortized as the Order Book, existing at emergence, is reduced, principally as a result of deliveries to customers. The intangible asset related to customer relationships is amortized using the straight-line method over the estimated average useful life of 15 years. Amortization expense is presented below gross profit on the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income. Intangible asset balances are as follows (in millions):

A summary of debt is as follows (in millions):

There were no transfers between Level 1, 2 or 3 during the periods presented.

The carrying value and estimated fair value of long-term debt were as follows (in millions):

The Company provides retirement benefits to certain employees and retirees under two qualified defined benefit pension plans, one postretirement health and life benefit plan and two disqualified plans.

The components of net periodic benefit costs (credits) for the defined benefit pension plans were as follows (in millions):

The components of net periodic benefit costs for the postretirement health and life benefit plan were as follows (in millions):

During the third quarter of 2023, the Company determined that it was probable that lump sum payouts for 2023 would be greater than the annual service and interest cost components of the annual net periodic benefit cost for one of its defined benefit pension plans, triggering a remeasurement. The Company’s defined benefit obligations for its pension plans was $527.3 million at December 31, 2022, of which $30.6 million related to this plan. The remeasurement resulted in a decrease in the benefit obligation and a corresponding net actuarial gain of $0.9 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023. There were no pension plan remeasurements in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022.

On October 12, 2023, the Company entered into an agreement with an insurer (“Insurer”) for one of its defined benefit plans to purchase a group annuity contract and transferred approximately $186.5 million of its pension plan obligations to the insurer. The purchase of the group annuity contract was funded directly by the assets of the pension plan of approximately $171.4 million. The purchase resulted in a transfer of benefit administrative responsibilities for approximately 1,400 beneficiaries effective December 1, 2023. The Company estimates that the income related to the pension settlement recognized in the fourth quarter will be approximately $15.1 million, dependent upon the final settlement and pricing of the annuity transaction. The settlement charge will be recognized in nonoperating components of net periodic benefit loss (income) in our consolidated statements of operations.

Centrus follows the asset and liability approach to account for deferred taxes. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the anticipated future tax consequences of temporary differences between the balance sheet carrying amounts of assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. A valuation allowance is provided if it is more likely than not that all, or some portion, of the deferred tax assets may not be realized. The ultimate realization of the net deferred tax assets is dependent upon generating sufficient taxable income in future years when deferred tax assets are recoverable or are expected to reverse.

Basic net income (loss) per share is calculated by dividing net income (loss) by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. In calculating diluted net income (loss) per share, the number of shares is increased by the weighted average number of potential common shares related to stock compensation awards including restricted stock, stock options, stock appreciation rights and notional stock units, and the warrant. No dilutive effect is recognized in a period in which a net loss has occurred.

The weighted average number of common and common equivalent shares used in the calculation of basic and diluted income (loss) per share are as follows:

Pursuant to a sales agreement with its agents, the Company sold, through its ATM offering at the market price, an aggregate of 722,568 shares of its Class A Common Stock in the three months ended March 31, 2023, for a total of $24.4 million. After expenses and commissions paid to the agents, the Company’s proceeds totaled $23.4 million. Additionally, the Company recorded direct costs of $0.2 million related to the issuance. The shares of Class A Common Stock were issued pursuant to the Company’s shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333-239242), which became effective on August 5, 2020, and two prospectus supplements dated December 31, 2020 and December 5, 2022, respectively. The Company has used and/or intends to use the net proceeds from this offering for working capital and general corporate purposes including, but not limited to, capital expenditures, working capital, investment in technology development and deployment, repayment of indebtedness, potential acquisitions and other business opportunities. There were no sales of Class A Common Stock through the ATM offering in the three months ended September 30, 2023 or the nine months ended September 30, 2022.

The Company filed a shelf registration statement on Form S-3 (Registration Statement No. 333-272984) with the SEC on June 28, 2023, which became effective on July 10, 2023. Pursuant to this shelf registration statement, the Company may offer and sell up to $200 million in securities, in aggregate. The Company retains broad discretion over the use of the net proceeds from the sale of the securities offered. Unless otherwise specified in any prospectus supplement, we currently intend to use the net proceeds from the sale of our securities offered under this prospectus for working capital and general corporate purposes including, but not limited to, capital expenditures, working capital, repayment of indebtedness, potential acquisitions and other business opportunities. Pending any specific application, we may initially invest funds in short-term marketable securities or apply them to the reduction of indebtedness.

On June 20, 2023, the Company entered into a Fifth Amendment to the Rights Agreement, which amends the Rights Agreement, dated as of April 6, 2016, by and among the Company, and Computershare Trust Company, N.A. and Computershare Inc., as rights agent, as amended by (i) the First Amendment to the Rights Agreement dated as of February 14, 2017, (ii) the Second Amendment to the Rights Agreement dated as of April 3, 2019, (iii) the Third Amendment to the Rights Agreement dated as of April 13, 2020, and (iv) the Fourth Amendment to the Rights Agreement dated as of June 16, 2021.

The Fifth Amendment to the Rights Agreement (i) increases the purchase price for each one one-thousandth (1/1000th) of a share of the Company’s Series A Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock, par value $1.00 per share, from $18.00 to $160.38; and (ii) extends the Final Expiration Date (as defined in the Rights Agreement) from June 30, 2023 to June 30, 2026.

The Fifth Amendment was not adopted as a result of, or in response to, any effort to acquire control of the Company. The Fifth Amendment has been adopted in order to preserve for the Company’s stockholders the long-term value of the Company’s net operating loss carry-forwards for United States federal income tax purposes and other tax benefits.

    

Notional stock units are a component of the 2019 Executive Incentive Plan for participating executives for the three-year period ending December 31, 2021. The plan payouts were settled in Class A Common Stock in April 2021 and March 2022. In April 2020, notional stock units and SARs were granted to participating executives with a vesting period ending in April 2023.

The plan payouts for the 2020-2022 performance period were settled in Class A Common Stock in March and April 2023. In the first quarter of 2023, the Company withheld $1.9 million of shares that vested during the period for the purpose of funding the grantees’ tax withholding obligations under the terms of the stock-based compensation plan.

The Russian government-owned entity TENEX is a major supplier of SWU to the Company. Under the 2011 TENEX Supply Contract, the Company purchases SWU contained in LEU received from TENEX, and the Company delivers natural uranium hexafluoride to TENEX for the LEU’s uranium component. The LEU that the Company obtains from TENEX is subject to quotas under the RSA and U.S. legislation adopted in 2020 and to other restrictions applicable to commercial Russian LEU. Further, the ability of the Company or TENEX to perform under the TENEX Supply Contract is subject to (i) sanctions or restrictions that might be imposed by Russia, the United States, or other countries as a result of the war in Ukraine, or otherwise, (ii) customers and other parties who may object to receiving or handling Russian LEU or SWU, or (iii) suppliers and service providers seeking to limit their involvement with business related to Russia.

The TENEX Supply Contract originally was signed with commitments through 2022, but was modified in 2015 to give the Company the right to reschedule certain quantities of SWU of the original commitments into the period 2023 and beyond, in return for the purchase of additional SWU in those years. The Company has exercised this right to reschedule in each year through December 31, 2022. As a result of exercising this right to reschedule, the Company has purchase commitments that could extend through 2028.

The TENEX Supply Contract provides that the Company must pay for all SWU in its minimum purchase obligation each year, even if it fails to submit orders for such SWU. In such a case, the Company would pay for the SWU, but have to take the unordered SWU in the following year.

Pricing terms for SWU under the TENEX Supply Contract are based on a combination of market-related price points and other factors. This formula was subject to an adjustment at the end of 2018 that reduced the unit costs of SWU under this contract in 2019 and for the duration of the contract.

In 2018, the Company entered into the Orano Supply Agreement with a French company, Orano Cycle, for the long-term supply of SWU contained in LEU. The Orano Supply Agreement subsequently was assigned by Orano Cycle to its affiliate, Orano CE. Under the amended Orano Supply Agreement, the supply of SWU runs through 2030. The Orano Supply Agreement provides significant flexibility to adjust purchase volumes, subject to annual minimums and maximums in fixed amounts that vary year by year. The pricing for the SWU purchased by the Company is determined by a formula that uses a combination of market-related price points and other factors and is subject to certain floors and ceilings.

 

The Company’s predecessor, USEC Inc., and DOE signed the 2002 DOE-USEC Agreement dated June 17, 2002, pursuant to which the parties made long-term commitments directed at resolving issues related to the stability and security of the domestic uranium enrichment industry. The 2002 DOE-USEC Agreement requires Centrus to develop, demonstrate and deploy advanced enrichment technology in accordance with milestones, including the deployment of a commercial American Centrifuge Plant, and provides for remedies in the event of a failure to meet a milestone under certain circumstances, including terminating the 2002 DOE-USEC Agreement, revoking Centrus’ access to DOE’s centrifuge technology that is required for the success of the Company’s ongoing work with the American Centrifuge technology, requiring Centrus to transfer certain rights in the American Centrifuge technology and facilities to DOE, and requiring Centrus to reimburse DOE for certain costs associated with the American Centrifuge technology. The 2002 DOE-USEC Agreement provides that if a delaying event beyond the control and without the fault or negligence of Centrus occurs that could affect Centrus’ ability to meet the American Centrifuge Plant milestones under the 2002 DOE-USEC Agreement, DOE and the Company will jointly meet to discuss in good faith possible adjustments to the milestones as appropriate to accommodate the delaying event. In 2014, the 2002 DOE-USEC Agreement and other agreements between the Company and DOE were assumed by Centrus subject to an express reservation of all rights, remedies and defenses by DOE and the Company under those agreements. DOE and the Company have agreed that all rights, remedies and defenses of the parties with respect to any missed milestones and all other matters under the 2002 DOE-USEC Agreement continue to be preserved, and that the time limits for each party to respond to any missed milestones continue to be tolled.

From time to time, the Company is involved in various pending legal proceedings, including the pending legal proceedings described below.

In 1993, USEC-Government entered into a lease for the Paducah and Portsmouth GDPs with the DOE. As part of that lease, DOE and USEC-Government also entered into a Power MOU regarding power purchase agreements between DOE and the providers of power to the GDPs. Under the Power MOU, DOE and USEC-Government agreed upon the allocation of rights and liabilities under the power purchase agreements. In 1998, USEC-Government was privatized and became Enrichment Corp., now a principal subsidiary of the Company. Pursuant to legislation authorizing the privatization, the lease for the GDPs, which included the Power MOU as an Appendix, was transferred to Enrichment Corp., and Enrichment Corp. was given the right to purchase power from DOE. The Paducah GDP was shut down in 2013 and deleased by Enrichment Corp. in 2014. On August 4, 2021, DOE informally informed Enrichment Corp. that the Joppa power plant, which had supplied power to the Paducah GDP, was planned to undergo D&D. According to DOE, the power purchase agreement with Electric Energy Inc. requires DOE to pay for a portion of the D&D costs of the Joppa power plant, and DOE has asserted that a portion of the DOE liability is the responsibility of Enrichment Corp. under the Power MOU in the amount of approximately $9.6 million. The Company is assessing DOE’s assertions including whether all or a portion of any such potential liability had been previously settled. The Company has not formed an opinion on the merits of DOE’s claim nor is it able to estimate its potential liability, if any, for such claim and no expense or liability has been accrued.

On May 26, 2019, the Company, Enrichment Corp., and six other DOE contractors who have operated facilities at the Portsmouth GDP in Piketon, Ohio (including, in the case of the Company, the American Centrifuge Plant site located on premises currently leased from DOE) were named as defendants in a class action complaint filed by Ursula McGlone, Jason McGlone, Julia Dunham, and K.D. and C.D., minor children by and through their parent and natural guardian Julia Dunham (collectively, the “McGlone Plaintiffs”) in the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Ohio, Eastern Division. The complaint seeks damages for alleged off-site contamination allegedly resulting from activities on the Portsmouth GDP site. The McGlone Plaintiffs are seeking to represent a class of (i) all current or former residents within a seven-mile radius of the Portsmouth GDP site and (ii) all students and their parents at the Zahn’s Corner Middle School from 1993-present. Since its initial filing, the complaint has been amended four times, the latest of which was filed on March 18, 2021. Likewise, based on motions brought by the Company, Enrichment Corp. and the other DOE contractors, the court has dismissed ten of the fifteen claims and dismissed claims brought on behalf of the minor children. As such, the case continues in the discovery stage of litigation. The Company and Enrichment Corp. believe that its operations at the Portsmouth GDP site were fully in compliance with the NRC’s regulations. Further, the Company and Enrichment Corp. believe that any such liability should be indemnified by DOE under the Price-Anderson Act. The Company and Enrichment Corp. have provided notifications to DOE required to invoke indemnification under the Price-Anderson Act and other contractual provisions.

On June 8, 2022, the Company, Enrichment Corp., and six other DOE contractors who operated facilities at the Portsmouth GDP were named as defendants in a complaint filed by Brad Allen Lykins, as administrator of the estate of Braden Aaron Lee Lykins in the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Ohio, Eastern Division (“Lykins Complaint”). In March 2021, Brayden Lykins, who was thirteen years old, passed away from leukemia. The complaint alleges that the defendants released radiation into the environment in violation of the Price-Anderson Act causing Lykins’ death and seeks monetary damages. On August 30, 2022, the Company, Enrichment Corp., and the other defendants filed their answer to the Lykins Compliant. The Company and Enrichment Corp. believe that their operations at the Portsmouth GDP site were fully in compliance with the NRC’s regulations. Further, the Company and Enrichment Corp. believe that any such liability should be indemnified by DOE under the Price-Anderson Act. The Company and Enrichment Corp. have provided notifications to DOE required to invoke indemnification under the Price-Anderson Act and other contractual provisions.

On March 8, 2023, the Company, Enrichment Corp., and six other DOE contractors who operated facilities at the Portsmouth GDP were named as defendants in a complaint filed by Christian C. Rose in the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Ohio, Eastern Division (“Rose Complaint”). The Rose Complaint alleges that the defendants released radiation into the environment in violation of the Price-Anderson Act causing injuries and death and seeks monetary damages. On May 15, 2023, the Company, Enrichment Corp. and the other defendants filed their answers to the Rose Complaint. The Company and Enrichment Corp. believe that their operations at the Portsmouth GDP site were fully in compliance with the NRC’s regulations. Further, the Company and Enrichment Corp. believe that any such liability should be indemnified by DOE under the Price-Anderson Act. The Company and Enrichment Corp. have provided notifications to the DOE required to invoke indemnification under the Price-Anderson Act and other contractual provisions.

Centrus is subject to various legal proceedings and claims, either asserted or unasserted, which arise in the ordinary course of business. While the outcome of these claims cannot be predicted with certainty, other than the above, Centrus does not believe that the outcome of any of these legal matters, individually and in the aggregate, will have a material adverse effect on its cash flows, results of operations, or consolidated financial condition.

In the three months ended September 30, 2023, three customers in the LEU segment individually represented $14.9 million, $12.5 million, and $8.7 million of revenue. In the nine months ended September 30, 2023, two customers in the LEU segment individually represented $54.1 million and $47.8 million of revenue. One customer in the Technical Solutions segment individually represented $10.7 million and $29.4 million of revenue in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, respectively.

In the three months ended September 30, 2022, two customers in the LEU segment individually represented $12.6 million and $7.3 million of revenue. In the nine months ended September 30, 2022, two customers in the LEU segment individually represented $44.9 million and $19.2 million of revenue. One customer in the Technical Solutions segment individually represented $11.7 million and $35.7 million of revenue in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2022, respectively.

Centrus Energy Corp., a Delaware corporation (“Centrus,” the “Company”, “we” or “us”), is a trusted supplier of nuclear fuel components and services for the nuclear power industry, which provides a reliable source of carbon free energy. References to “Centrus”, the “Company”, “our”, or “we” include Centrus Energy Corp. and its wholly owned subsidiaries as well as the predecessor to Centrus, unless the context indicates otherwise.

Centrus operates two business segments: (a) LEU, which supplies various components of nuclear fuel to commercial customers from our global network of suppliers, and (b) Technical Solutions, which provides advanced engineering, design, and manufacturing services to government and private sector customers and is deploying uranium enrichment and other capabilities necessary for production of advanced nuclear fuel to power existing and next-generation reactors around the world.

Our LEU segment currently provides most of the Company’s revenue and involves the sale of enriched uranium, the fissile component of nuclear fuel primarily to utilities that operate commercial nuclear power plants. The majority of these sales are for the enrichment component of LEU, which is measured in SWU. Centrus also sells natural uranium (the raw material needed to produce LEU) and occasionally sells uranium concentrates, uranium conversion or LEU with the natural uranium hexafluoride and SWU components combined into one sale.

LEU is a critical component in the production of nuclear fuel for reactors that produce electricity. We supply LEU and its components to both domestic and international utilities for use in nuclear reactors worldwide. We provide LEU from multiple sources, including our inventory, medium and long-term supply contracts, and spot purchases. As a long-term supplier of LEU to our customers, our objective is to provide value through the reliability and diversity of our supply sources.

When Russian supply is included, the uranium enrichment segment of the global nuclear fuel market is oversupplied. But without Russian supply, the global market for uranium enrichment would be undersupplied. Changes in the supply-demand balance and in the competitive landscape arising from the war in Ukraine may continue to affect pricing trends, change customer spending patterns, and create uncertainty in the uranium market. At the same time, there remains uncertainty about future demand for nuclear power generation. To address these changes and uncertainties, we will continue to evaluate opportunities to grow our business organically or through acquisitions and other strategic transactions.

Our Technical Solutions segment is dedicated to the restoration of America’s domestic uranium enrichment capability to play a critical role in meeting U.S. national security and energy security requirements and advancing America’s nonproliferation, energy, and climate objectives. Our Technical Solutions segment also is focused on repairing broken and vulnerable supply chains, providing clean energy jobs, and supporting the communities in which we operate. Our goal is to deliver major components of the next-generation nuclear fuels that will power the future of nuclear energy as it provides reliable carbon-free power around the world.

Under the HALEU Demonstration Contract, Centrus completed construction of a cascade of sixteen AC100M centrifuges in Piketon, Ohio, for the DOE to demonstrate HALEU production. The HALEU Demonstration Contract was originally set to expire on June 1, 2022. However, the DOE extended the HALEU Demonstration Contract to November 30, 2022 with closeout activities to be completed this year. Due to challenges the DOE experienced in providing withdrawal cylinders as government furnished equipment, the DOE elected to change the scope of the HALEU Demonstration Contract and moved the operational portion of the demonstration to a new, competitively awarded contract that provides for operations beyond the term of the HALEU Demonstration Contract. DOE incrementally funded the HALEU Demonstration Contract with total funding to date of $173.0 million.

Under the HALEU Operation Contract, DOE is obligated to provide the 5B cylinders necessary to collect the output of the cascade, but supply chain challenges have created difficulties for DOE in securing enough 5B cylinders for the entire year. Centrus’ delivery of the 900 kilograms is subject to the ability of DOE to provide the 5B cylinders on a timeline that allows for continuous production throughout the year. Centrus anticipates that any potential bottleneck in obtaining 5B cylinders will be temporary and that the supply chain for the 5B cylinders will ramp up over time now that HALEU production is under way.

To support the DOE in mitigating the risk of delayed delivery of 5B cylinders, the Company received technical direction from the DOE to procure compliant 5B cylinders and components while the contractual obligation to furnish compliant 5B cylinders under the HALEU Operation Contract continues to rest with the DOE. The Company is also performing additional work on infrastructure and facility repairs under DOE’s technical direction. On September 28, 2023, the DOE modified the HALEU Operation Contract to incorporate additional scope for infrastructure and facility repairs, and costs associated with 5B cylinder refurbishment, for an estimated additional contract value of $5.8 million. On October 19, 2023, the DOE provided additional funding of $5.5 million for the additional scope under the HALEU Operation Contract. DOE is funding the contract incrementally with total funding to date of $38.8 million. The Company’s goal is to ultimately scale up production of HALEU, to meet the needs of new and existing reactors as well as national security and other U.S. government requirements for enriched uranium, subject to funding and/or off-take commitments.

On February 9, 2023, the Company announced that construction and initial testing of the demonstration cascade and most of the support systems were complete. On June 12, 2023, following the completion of its operational readiness reviews, the NRC issued a letter authorizing the Company to introduce uranium hexafluoride into the HALEU cascade of centrifuges. This is a critical milestone in advancing toward the production of HALEU and the final NRC approval required before starting enrichment operations. During the third quarter of 2023, the Company completed construction of the remaining support systems, including a fissile materials storage area, for HALEU storage. On September 6, 2023, the Company announced that it was conducting final system tests and other preparations so that production of HALEU could begin. On September 21, 2023, the NRC granted final approval for the company to produce the quantity of HALEU required by Phase 1 of the contract. On October 11, 2023, the Company announced that it began enrichment operations in Piketon, Ohio. On November 7, 2023, the Company announced that it made its first delivery of HALEU to the DOE, completing Phase 1 by successfully demonstrating its HALEU production process.

The DOE is contemplating awarding additional contracts to ensure availability of HALEU for the ARDP and for the advanced reactor market in general, and received a $700 million congressional appropriation from the Inflation Reduction Act as a first step in establishing a domestic supply chain for HALEU. On June 5, 2023, the DOE issued two draft requests for proposals (“RFPs”) seeking public comment, the first focusing on production of HALEU and the second focusing on deconversion of HALEU into different forms used to fabricate fuels needed by various advanced reactor developers. Centrus submitted comments in response to the draft RFPs to ensure the RFP promotes deployment of HALEU capacity to meet U.S. commercial and government needs for HALEU produced with U.S. technology. The Company expects to submit a bid once a final RFP is issued, with the goal of expanding HALEU production capability at the Piketon facility, subject to availability of funding and/or off-take commitments. At the present, it is not clear whether DOE will adopt the Company’s RFP comments.

The war in Ukraine has contributed to a significant increase in market prices for enrichment and (along with proposals to limit imports of LEU from Russia) prompted calls for public and private investment in new, domestic uranium enrichment capacity not only for HALEU production but also for LEU production to support the existing fleet of reactors. As a result, Centrus is exploring the opportunity to deploy LEU enrichment alongside HALEU enrichment to meet a range of commercial and U.S. government requirements, which would bring cost synergies while increasing revenue opportunities. Our ability to deploy LEU and/or HALEU enrichment, and the timing, sequencing, and scale of those capabilities, is subject to the availability of funding and/or off-take commitments.

The Energy Act of 2020, which was signed into law in December 2020, requires the DOE to establish a program to support the availability of HALEU for civilian domestic research, development, demonstration, and commercial use. The Energy Act also reauthorized DOE nuclear energy research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities, including advanced fuel, research and development for advanced reactors, used fuel technologies, and integration of nuclear energy systems for both existing plants and advanced nuclear concepts. It also authorized the funding of an ARDP which was launched by the DOE in May 2020. There are a number of advanced reactors under development that would use HALEU. Nine of the ten advanced reactor designs selected by the DOE for its ARDP will require HALEU. Various agencies of the U.S. government, including the U.S. Department of Defense, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and the DOE are building microreactors which demonstrates the focus on both the development of microreactors and HALEU. We believe our investments in advanced enrichment technology and our progress in demonstrating HALEU production will position the Company to meet the needs of government and commercial customers in the future as they deploy advanced reactors and next generation fuels and also offers potential cost synergies for a return to LEU production.

The global nuclear industry outlook has begun to improve after many years of decline or stagnation. The development of advanced small and large-scale reactors, innovative advanced fuel types, and the commitment of nations to begin deploying nuclear power or to increase the share of nuclear power in their nations has created optimism in the market. Part of the momentum has resulted from efforts to lower greenhouse gas emissions to combat climate change and improve health and safety.

According to the WNA, as of September 2023, there were 60 reactors under construction worldwide, about a third of which are in China. The United States, with over 90 operating reactors, remains the world’s largest market for nuclear fuel. The nuclear industry in the United States, Japan, and Europe faces headwinds as well as opportunities. In the United States, the industry has been under pressure from the expansion of subsidized renewable energy as well as relatively low-cost natural gas resources in recent years, although natural gas prices in the U.S. electricity sector tripled between 2020 and 2022 according to data from the EIA. Twelve U.S. reactors have prematurely shut down in the past ten years and others could shut down in the next few years. At the same time, one large reactor is currently under construction, and the DOE recently released a report outlining a pathway to deployment of approximately 200 gigawatts of additional capacity by 2050 which would triple the nuclear energy capacity in the United States.

As a consequence of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, over 60 reactors in Japan and Germany were taken offline, and other countries curtailed or slowed their construction of new reactors or accelerated the retirement of existing plants. Eleven reactors in Japan have restarted, additional reactors are expected to restart through 2024, and more of Japan’s reactors are expected to restart in subsequent years. Due to the war in Ukraine, the EU is encouraging its member countries to reconsider the planned early retirement of existing plants in order to reduce reliance on Russian gas imports.

In October 2020, the DOC reached an agreement with the Russian Federation on an extension of the RSA, a trade agreement that allows for Russian-origin nuclear fuel to be exported to the United States in limited quantities. The two parties agreed to extend the agreement through 2040 and to set aside a significant portion of the quota for Centrus’ shipments to the United States through 2028 to perform under our TENEX Supply Contract. This outcome allowed for sufficient quota for Centrus to continue serving its utility customers and support its investments in building new capacity. Use of this quota is subject to compliance with limitations under the RSA. These limitations include a requirement that we return natural uranium to TENEX for the LEU we receive under the TENEX Supply Contract at approximately the same time that we deliver the LEU to our customers. Our ability to meet this requirement depends on the capacity or willingness of the facilities where natural uranium is supplied to us by customers, to allow us to deliver this natural uranium to TENEX. We were recently notified by one facility that it will no longer receive natural uranium for TENEX. As a result, we will need to rely to a greater extent on deliveries at other processors or explore other options in order to comply with the RSA’s natural uranium delivery requirement.

On July 13, 2023, the Company and TerraPower, LLC (“TerraPower”) entered into a memorandum of understanding (“MOU”) to expand their collaboration aimed at establishing commercial-scale, domestic production capabilities for HALEU to fuel the Natrium TM reactor that TerraPower is building in Wyoming. Under this MOU, the Company and TerraPower will collaborate to ensure the Natrium demonstration reactor has access to HALEU at the milestones necessary to meet the project's 2030 operation date. Subject to a definitive agreement to be negotiated, Centrus will work toward scaling up production capacity with additional centrifuge cascades to meet TerraPower's fuel requirements.

On August 28, 2023, the Company and Oklo Inc. (“Oklo”) announced a new MOU to support the deployment of Oklo’s advanced fission powerhouses and advanced nuclear fuel production in Southern Ohio subject to a definitive agreement to be negotiated. Oklo and Centrus plan to enter into a broad range of collaboration programs supporting the development and operation of Oklo’s Aurora powerhouses, including supply of HALEU produced by Centrus at the Piketon, Ohio facility. Centrus also intends to buy clean, reliable, and affordable energy from Oklo’s planned Ohio plants to power its HALEU production facility.

The war in Ukraine has escalated tensions between Russia and the international community. As a result, the United States and other countries have imposed, and may continue imposing, additional sanctions and export controls against certain Russian products, services, organizations and/or individuals. While sanctions imposed to date do not preclude the import of Russian uranium products into the United States, it is possible that additional restrictions could be added in the future that would affect our ability to purchase and re-sell Russian uranium enrichment, or implement the TENEX Supply Contract, which could have a negative material impact on our business. Further, sanctions by the United States, Russia or other countries may impact our ability and cost to transport, export, import, take delivery, or make payments related to the LEU we purchase and may require us to increase purchases from non-Russian sources to the extent available. For example, due to restrictions imposed by Canada on the ability of Canadian persons and entities to provide ocean transportation services to Russia, a permit is required for our shipper, a Canadian company, to transport the LEU that we procure under the TENEX Supply Contract to the United States. A Canadian permit issued to our shipper was recently extended to July 2024, but for so long as the sanctions remain in place, the shipper will require further extensions for us to continue to use the shipper for imports of this LEU beyond July 2024.

In response to the war in Ukraine, there have been proposals in the U.S. Congress and elsewhere to ban imports of uranium products that could cut off or reduce our ability to import LEU in one or more years under the TENEX Supply Contract. None of these proposals have been adopted as of the date of this filing, but in a recent fact sheet on the need for the U.S. Congress to provide additional funding for domestic initiatives, including $2.2 billion for U.S. enrichment capacity, the White House stated that a long-term ban on enriched uranium imports from the Russian Federation into the United States is needed for this funding to be successful.

The proposals represent a significant risk to our business because the TENEX Supply Contract is the major source of supply that the Company relies upon today to meet its delivery obligations and to earn the revenues needed to fund our advanced technology work. We are following these proposals closely and taking steps where possible to request changes that would improve prospects of securing a waiver if sanctions are imposed. However, given that our ability to secure a timely waiver is not assured under any circumstances, we believe these proposals could pose a risk of significant harm to our business if enacted.

Our Order Book in the LEU segment extends to 2030. As of September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, our Order Book was approximately $1.0 billion. The Order Book is the estimated aggregate dollar amount of revenue for future SWU and uranium deliveries, and includes approximately $0.3 billion of deferred revenue and advances from customers as of September 30, 2023, whereby customers have made advance payments to be applied against future deliveries. No orders in our Order Book are considered at risk related to customer operations. However, these medium and long-term contracts are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, including existing import laws and restrictions such as the RSA, which limits imports of Russian uranium products into the United States and applies to our sales using material procured under the TENEX Supply Contract, as well as the potential for additional sanctions and other restrictions affecting the Company or its suppliers, in response to the evolving situation regarding the war in Ukraine.

Our Technical Solutions segment reflects our technical, manufacturing, engineering, and operations services offered to public and private sector customers, including engineering and testing activities as well as technical and resource support currently being performed by the Company. This includes the HALEU Operation Contract and other contracts with public and private sector customers.

Revenue from our LEU segment accounted for approximately 79% and 86% of our total revenue for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2023, respectively. The majority of our customers are domestic and international utilities that operate nuclear power plants, with international sales constituting approximately 42% of revenue from our LEU segment since 2021. Our agreements with electric utilities are primarily medium and long-term fixed-commitment contracts under which our customers are obligated to purchase a specified quantity of the SWU component of LEU from us. Contracts where we sell both the SWU and natural uranium hexafluoride components of LEU to utilities or where we sell natural uranium hexafluoride to utilities and other nuclear fuel related companies are generally shorter-term, fixed-commitment contracts. Individual customer orders for the SWU component of LEU fulfilled in the nine months ended September 30, 2023 averaged approximately $6.4 million per order. As a result, a relatively small shift in the timing of customer orders for LEU may cause significant variability in our operating results year over year.

Our contracts with customers are denominated primarily in U.S. dollars, and, although revenue has not been materially affected by changes in the foreign exchange rate of the U.S. dollar, we may have a competitive price advantage or disadvantage in obtaining new contracts in a competitive bidding process depending upon the weakness or strength of the U.S. dollar. Under a customer contract that commenced deliveries in 2023, payments are denominated in euros and may be subject to exchange rate risk. Costs of our primary competitors are denominated in other currencies. Our contracts with suppliers are primarily denominated in U.S. dollars. We have a SWU supply agreement, commencing in 2023, with prices payable in a combination of U.S. dollars and euros, but with a contract-defined exchange rate.

On occasion, we will accept payment for SWU in the form of natural uranium hexafluoride. Revenue from the sale of SWU under such contracts is recognized at the time LEU is delivered and is based on the fair value of the natural uranium hexafluoride at contract inception, or as the quantity of natural uranium hexafluoride is finalized, if variable.