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Urenco USA Authorized to Produce up to 10% Enriched Uranium by NRC

02 October 2025

Higher Enrichment Level Will Benefit Advanced Reactors and Existing Nuclear Plants

EUNICE, N.M. – Urenco USA received authorization from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) on September 30 to enrich uranium up to 10% U-235, which allows the company to become the first commercial uranium enricher to produce low-enriched uranium plus (LEU+). The NRC’s authorization came after Urenco USA successfully implemented changes in its plant systems and procedures and completed its operational readiness review, culminating in approval to bring this innovative fuel offering to the nuclear fuel market. Initial production of LEU+ will take place this year, with the first product deliveries to a fuel fabricator planned for 2026.

“Our dedicated employees have worked diligently to deliver this new capability for the benefit of our current and future customers and to support the long-term success of the U.S. nuclear industry,” said John Kirkpatrick, Managing Director of Urenco USA. “With LEU+ as an option for fueling America’s reactors, current nuclear plant operators can realize new gains in operations and efficiencies that will support even stronger performance by the country’s existing reactor fleet, and advanced reactor developers will have a reliable option to fuel their new designs.”

LEU+ will create new opportunities for the current U.S. reactor fleet by allowing for longer operating cycles with fewer refueling outages, reducing operations and maintenance costs. Many advanced reactor technologies currently planned for deployment will also be able to use LEU+ as fuel, providing them a reliable U.S. fuel source from the only domestic commercial enrichment facility in operation.

LEU+ can also serve as an important feedstock for a future U.S. enrichment facility designed to produce high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) and will increase the amount of HALEU such a facility could produce, which will also support deployment of other advanced reactor designs.

In preparation for producing the new level of enrichment announced today, Urenco USA received license amendments from the NRC in December 2024 and August 2025. All the plant’s existing and future cascades will be licensed to produce LEU and LEU+, providing a flexible resource for meeting customers’ fuel requirements.

Preparing for LEU+ production required over 100,000 hours of work, with significant emphasis on engineering, the development of new procedures, and the implementation of more than 30 new IROFS (Items Relied on for Safety). This process also involved more than 250 modifications to license basis and program documents.

Levels of Enriched Uranium

Natural uranium contains two primary isotopes, with more than 99% being U-238 and less than 1% being the fissionable U-235. Most commercial nuclear reactors operating today use fuel fabricated with low-enriched uranium (LEU), where the level of U-235 is raised to between 3-5%. In LEU+, the level of U-235 will be between 5-10%. HALEU will be enriched to between 10-20% and requires a dedicated facility and separate license from the NRC for production.

About Urenco USA

As America’s only commercial producer of enriched uranium, Urenco USA operates the National Enrichment Facility, a strategic part of America’s energy infrastructure and nuclear fuel supply chain that began operations in 2010 and has the capacity to meet approximately one-third of the enrichment needs of U.S. commercial nuclear power plants. The facility represents a commercial investment of private capital in U.S. manufacturing totaling more than $5 billion to date and employs more than 500 U.S. employees and long-term contractors.

With nearly two decades of experience building and operating uranium enrichment capacity in the United States, Urenco USA is uniquely positioned to support U.S. utilities in meeting growing domestic energy needs and in strengthening U.S. energy security. Since its first product shipment in 2012, the company has delivered every customer order on time and to specification, representing more than 50 million SWU (separative work units) of production. To strengthen the country’s nuclear fuel supply chain and support a transition away from a reliance on enriched uranium from Russia, the company is expanding its production capacity 15% by mid-2027, with two new centrifuge cascades successfully brought online ahead of schedule and on budget already this year.

Urenco USA’s essential role in the nuclear fuel supply chain supports the generation of reliable, secure, and sustainable energy for U.S. consumers and businesses. The company focuses on providing safe, cost-effective and reliable uranium enrichment services for power generation while working within a framework of high regulatory and safety standards. Urenco USA’s world-class facility in southeastern New Mexico plays a vital role in supporting U.S. energy production, energy security, jobs, and manufacturing. To learn more, visit www.urencousa.com.