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Commitments and Contingencies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]  
Commitments and Contingencies
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Commitments under SWU Purchase Agreements

TENEX

A major supplier of SWU to the Company is the Russian government entity Joint Stock Company “TENEX” (“TENEX”). Under a 2011 agreement with TENEX, as amended, (the “Russian Supply Agreement”), the Company purchases SWU contained in LEU received from TENEX, and the Company delivers natural uranium to TENEX for the LEU’s uranium component. The LEU that the Company obtains from TENEX under the agreement is subject to quotas and other restrictions applicable to commercial Russian LEU.

The Russian Supply Agreement was originally 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. If the Company exercises this right to reschedule in full during the remaining years of the contract’s original term, the Company will have a rescheduled post-2022 purchase commitment through 2028.

The Russian Supply Agreement 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. The Company would then have the right to take the unordered SWU in the following year. Pricing terms for SWU under the Russian Supply Agreement are based on a combination of market-related price points and other factors. This formula is subject to an adjustment that the Company anticipates will reduce the unit costs of SWU under this contract for the duration of the contract.

Orano

On April 27, 2018, the Company entered into an agreement (the “Orano Supply Agreement”) with Orano Cycle (formerly, AREVA NC) (“Orano”) for the long-term supply to the Company of SWU contained in LEU, nominally commencing in 2023. Under the Agreement, the Company purchases SWU contained in LEU received from Orano, and the Company delivers natural uranium to Orano for the natural uranium feed material component of LEU. The Company may elect to begin to accept deliveries as early as 2021 or to defer the commencement of purchases until 2024 and has the option to extend the six-year purchase period for an additional two years. 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. Prices are payable in a combination of U.S. dollars and euros.

Nuclear Fuel Industries, Ltd.

On August 28, 2018, Enrichment Corp. entered into an agreement with Nuclear Fuel Industries, Ltd. (“NFI”) pursuant to which Enrichment Corp. would make a one-time purchase of SWU and uranium from NFI for $7.1 million. In March 2019, Enrichment Corp. completed the purchase from NFI. Toshiba America Nuclear Energy Corporation (“TANE”) holds 718,200 shares (51%) of the Company’s Class B common stock and certain of the Company’s 8.25% senior notes due 2027. Each of NFI and TANE are wholly-owned, indirect subsidiaries of Toshiba Corporation.

Milestones Under the 2002 DOE-USEC Agreement

The Company and DOE signed an agreement dated June 17, 2002, as amended (the “2002 DOE-USEC Agreement”), 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. DOE consented to the assumption by Centrus of the 2002 DOE-USEC Agreement and other agreements between the Company and DOE subject to an express reservation of all rights, remedies and defenses by DOE and Centrus under those agreements as part of the Company’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy process. The 2002 DOE-USEC Agreement requires Centrus to develop, demonstrate and deploy advanced enrichment technology in accordance with milestones and provides for remedies in the event of a failure to meet a milestone under certain circumstances.

DOE has specific remedies under the 2002 DOE-USEC Agreement if Centrus fails to meet a milestone that would adversely impact its ability to begin commercial operations of the American Centrifuge Plant on schedule, and such delay was within Centrus’ control or was due to its fault or negligence or if Centrus abandons or constructively abandons the commercial deployment of an advanced enrichment technology. These remedies include terminating the 2002 DOE-USEC Agreement, revoking Centrus’ access to DOE’s centrifuge technology that is required for the success of the American Centrifuge project, 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 project.

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 an American Centrifuge Plant milestone, DOE and Centrus will jointly meet to discuss in good faith possible adjustments to the milestones as appropriate to accommodate the delaying event. The Company notified DOE that it had not met the June 2014 milestone within the time period provided due to events beyond its control and without the fault or negligence of the Company. The assumption of the 2002 DOE-USEC Agreement provided for under the Plan of Reorganization did not affect the ability of either party to assert all rights, remedies and defenses under the agreement and all such rights, remedies and defenses are specifically preserved and all-time limits tolled expressly including all rights, remedies and defenses and time limits relating to any missed milestones. DOE and Centrus have agreed that all rights, remedies and defenses of the parties with respect to any missed milestones since March 5, 2014, including the June 2014 and November 2014 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.

Legal Matters

On October 11, 2018, the Company’s subsidiaries, Enrichment Corp. and American Centrifuge Enrichment, LLC (“ACE”, together with Enrichment Corp., the “Company Subsidiaries”) filed proofs of claim in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Ohio (the “Bankruptcy Court”) against each of FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company (“FENOC”), FirstEnergy Nuclear Generation, LLC (“FENG,” and together with FENOC, the “FirstEnergy Contract Parties”), FirstEnergy Solutions Corp. (“FES”) and FirstEnergy Generation, LLC (“FG”) in the amount of approximately $314 million. The claims relate to damages arising from the rejection and breach of a long-term contract between the Company Subsidiaries and the FirstEnergy Contract Parties that was approved by the Bankruptcy Court and made effective as of July 26, 2018. The proofs of claim filed by the Company Subsidiaries include claims against FENOC and FENG based on their liability as parties to the contract that was rejected and breached. The proofs of claim filed by the Company Subsidiaries also include claims against FES and FG based on their liability under guaranties they issued that may obligate FES and FG to satisfy the rejection and breach of contract damages claims. No amounts have been recorded in the Company’s consolidated financial statements related to the claims.

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.
Lease Commitments

Expenses under operating leases for office space, equipment and the Piketon and Oak Ridge facilities amounted to $3.3 million and $3.1 million in 2018 and 2017, respectively. Future estimated minimum lease payments and expected lease administration payments for leases with remaining terms in excess of one year follow (in millions):
2019
$
0.9

2020
0.9

2021
0.9

2022
1.0

2023
1.0

Thereafter
3.8

 
$
8.5



Centrus has a lease with DOE for centrifuge testing facilities in Oak Ridge through December 2019. Centrus leases facilities in Piketon for the American Centrifuge Plant from DOE. The current five-year lease term is through June 2019. Centrus has the option to extend the lease term for additional five-year terms. DOE may terminate the lease for default, including if DOE is able to exercise its remedies with respect to the ACP under the 2002 DOE-USEC Agreement.
  
Centrus leases the office space for its corporate headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland through October 2027 with an option to extend for five years. In May 2017, Centrus entered into a lease through July 2021 for 6,000 square feet of additional office space in Waverly, Ohio. Centrus also has short-term leases for small areas of office space in Washington, DC and Tokyo, Japan.