Property, Plant and Equipment

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2012

4. PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT

A summary of changes in property, plant and equipment follows (in millions):


	December 31, 2011			Capital Expenditures (Depreciation)			Transfers and Retirements			June 30, 2012
Construction work in progress	$	1,111.2		$	1.0		$	(47.0	)	$	1,065.2
Leasehold improvements		182.9			-			0.6			183.5
Machinery and equipment		251.2			0.9			(5.1	)		247.0
		1,545.3			1.9			(51.5	)		1,495.7
Accumulated depreciation and amortization		(358.2	)		(13.8	)		6.9			(365.1	)
	$	1,187.1		$	(11.9	)	$	(44.6	)	$	1,130.6

Capital expenditures include items in accounts payable and accrued liabilities at June 30, 2012 for which cash is paid in subsequent periods.

USEC is working to deploy the American Centrifuge technology at the American Centrifuge Plant ("ACP") in Piketon, Ohio. Capital expenditures related to the ACP, which are primarily included in the construction work in progress balance, totaled $1.1 billion at June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011. Capitalized asset retirement obligations included in construction work in progress totaled $19.3 million at June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011.

Instead of moving forward with a conditional commitment for a loan guarantee for the American Centrifuge project through the DOE Loan Guarantee Program, in the fall of 2011, DOE proposed a two-year cost share research, development and demonstration ("RD&D") program for the American Centrifuge project. Additional details are provided in Note 12 under "American Centrifuge Plant – Project Funding." As a result of the shift in focus of the American Centrifuge project, beginning in the fourth quarter of 2011, USEC began spending on the American Centrifuge technology at reduced levels with activities concentrating on development and demonstration. As a result, all project costs incurred since the fourth quarter of 2011 have been expensed, including interest expense that previously would have been capitalized. Capitalization of expenditures related to the ACP has ceased until commercial plant deployment resumes.

On June 12, 2012, USEC through its subsidiary entered into a contract with DOE to transfer to DOE title to the centrifuge machines and equipment produced or acquired under the RD&D program. The transferred property for research, development and demonstration activities include specified existing machines and equipment having a cost of $44.6 million that were transferred in the second quarter of 2012.

USEC believes that future cash flows from the ACP will exceed its capital investment. Since USEC believes its capital investment is fully recoverable, no impairment of the balance of capitalized costs is anticipated at this time. USEC will continue to evaluate this assessment as conditions change, including as a result of activities conducted as part of the RD&D program.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for long-lived, physical assets that are used in the normal conduct of business to produce goods and services and not intended for resale. Examples include land, buildings, machinery and equipment, and other types of furniture and equipment including, but not limited to, office equipment, furniture and fixtures, and computer equipment and software. This disclosure may include property plant and equipment accounting policies and methodology, a schedule of property, plant and equipment gross, additions, deletions, transfers and other changes, depreciation, depletion and amortization expense, net, accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization expense and useful lives, income statement disclosures, assets held for sale and public utility disclosures.

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