The United States Enrichment Corp. has awarded a $175 million contract to an Indianapolis company to manufacture steel casings for centrifuge machines for use in the proposed American Centrifuge Program at Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Piketon.

Major Tool & Machine will be responsible for making the casings through 2012.

In 2004, USEC hired the company to make casings for centrifuges used in the testing process of the program.

“Major Tool & Machine has over 60 years of experience n the custom contract manufacturing industry,” USEC Senior Vice President of American Centrifuge Phillip G. Sewell said. “Having worked with them since 2004, we're confident that they will meet our quality, cost and schedule objectives in manufacturing centrifuge casings for the American Centrifuge Plant.”

USEC wants to begin a new commercial enrichment process by the end of the decade.

However, some officials, including Gov. Ted Strickland, have expressed concern about USEC's reported financial problems which they say could derail the program.

But the company is proceeding with the program despite the financial rumblings.

“Our employees look forward to using their years of experience serving the aerospace, defense and power generation industries, and the national laboratories in performing as a strategic supplier for USEC in building the American Centrifuge Program,” Major Tool President J. Stephen Weyreter said.

USEC plans to have 11,500 centrifuge machines running by 2012.

In a related issue, USEC recently entered into a $100 million three-way manufacturing supply equipment contract with Hexcel and Alliant Techsystems for carbon fiber for rotor tubes at the proposed American Centrifuge plant.

Hexcel will make the carbon fiber in Salt Lake City and deliver them to Alliant.

Alliant will use the fiber to manufacture composite rotor tubes at Rocket Center, W.Va.

USEC also has supply contracts with BWX Technologies, Fluor Corporation and Honeywell International.