Uranium trioxide is a low-enriched uranium powder that resembles small spherical fertilizer pellets.
In addition to the uranium trioxide, DOE also plans to ship approximately 235 metric tons of uranium metal billets to Portsmouth. Together, these shipments will reduce Hanford's surplus uranium inventory by approximately 900 metric tons. Its removal allows us to consolidate our remaining uranium, so we can prepare former storage facilities for deactivation and decommissioning. That saves taxpayer dollars and takes us another step forward on cleanup. DOE determined that only the uranium trioxide and uranium metal billets have potentially positive market value.