Formerly USEC, now Centrus Energy, company emerges from bankruptcy

Centrus Energy Corporation announced this week that it has satisfied all the conditions to emerge from a Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The conditions were outlined in a reorganization plan approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware on September 5.

The plan became effective Tuesday, and Centrus, formerly known as USEC Incorporated, emerged from the restructuring in a “stronger position to supply customers with nuclear fuel and support the energy and national security needs of the United States,” a press release said.

Centrus stock was expected to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday under the ticker symbol LEU.

“Throughout the restructuring process that began March 5, 2014, the company has continued to meet all of its obligations to customers and vendors and will not require external exit financing upon emergence,” the release said. The company had maintained its NYSE listing throughout the Chapter 11 process.

“With this restructuring, we have accomplished a great deal,” said John Welch, president and chief executive officer of Centrus. “We have dramatically improved our capital structure by replacing $530 million in debt due this October and $114 million in preferred stock with new debt and new common stock. During this time, we met all of our customers’ needs on schedule as we have always done and achieved important performance objectives with our advanced uranium enrichment technology.

“Looking ahead, we will continue as a reliable supplier to our customers with an improved financial foundation. We strongly believe in the future value that the American Centrifuge technology can provide for domestic uranium enrichment and will build on the innovation of our employees, America’s leading experts on uranium enrichment, to support the national security objectives of the United States government.”

Welch said Centrus will remain positioned to commercialize the American Centrifuge technology when market conditions permit to supply the global fleet of commercial power reactors.

The company has next-generation uranium enrichment operations in Oak Ridge at the American Centrifuge Technology Manufacturing Center, the former Boeing building. In August, USEC (now Centrus) announced that Oak Ridge National Laboratory had exercised an option to extend the American Centrifuge demonstration program into 2015.

The press release this week said a new board of directors consisting of up to 11 directors will provide governance and strategic direction for Centrus. Five members of the previous USEC board, including one member appointed by Toshiba America Nuclear Energy Corporation, and five newly appointed directors under the plan approved by the bankruptcy court will comprise the new board. One seat on the board remains vacant, which may be filled by a person appointed by The Babcock & Wilcox Company.

Centrus Energy Corp. is a trusted supplier of enriched uranium fuel for a growing fleet of international and domestic commercial nuclear power plants. Centrus is working to deploy the American Centrifuge technology for commercial needs and to support U.S. energy and national security.