9. General conclusion

The criteria for choosing an enrichment process have evolved since the origins of the nuclear industry, but two constants remain: firstly, the group in charge of the project must possess the technology, or at least be able to make a safe bet on its success; and secondly, it must possess the financial resources, either at a cost acceptable to the defense budget, or more or less aimed at profitability for civilian production.

A distinction can be made between the pioneering periods before 1970, when most enrichment was devoted to defense needs, generally under the responsibility of governments, and the period from 1970 to the present day, with growing needs to supply power reactors under the responsibility of private or para-public companies. The first period saw the development of gaseous diffusion (USA, UK, France) and centrifugation (USSR). The early years of the...