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Urenco USA Expands U.S. Enrichment Capacity with Second New Cascade

10 September 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
September 10, 2025

Urenco USA Expands U.S. Enrichment Capacity with Second New Cascade

EUNICE, N.M. – Urenco USA has begun producing low enriched uranium with its second new cascade of gas centrifuges at its uranium enrichment facility in New Mexico. The company started the cascade ahead of schedule and built it on budget, continuing its successful expansion of U.S. enrichment capacity in support of the country’s goal of reinvigorating the U.S. nuclear industrial base and strengthening the domestic nuclear fuel supply chain. 

“With the current expansion campaign, our projects and operations teams are demonstrating their ability to build, install, and startup new cascades on a regular schedule, proving we are capable of growing to meet new demand as it arises,” said John Kirkpatrick, Managing Director for Urenco USA. “We know how important this expansion is to our U.S. utility customers, who have relied on us as a long-term domestic supplier of nuclear fuel, and we are confident we can deliver additional capacity on schedule in the years ahead.”

Urenco USA will add 700,000 separative work units (SWU) of new capacity at the site between 2025-2027, which will increase the plant’s capacity by 15%. Urenco USA brought the initial cascade of the expansion online in May, representing the first capacity added to the site in several years.

As America’s only commercial producer of enriched uranium, Urenco USA has been enriching uranium in the United States since 2010. The company operates the National Enrichment Facility, a strategic part of America’s national energy infrastructure and nuclear fuel supply chain. The facility represents a commercial investment of private capital in U.S. manufacturing totaling more than $5 billion to date and boasts a U.S. workforce of more than 500 employees and long-term contractors.

Urenco USA currently has the capacity to meet approximately one-third of the enrichment needs of U.S. commercial nuclear power plants. 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. Urenco USA’s new supply will strengthen the country’s nuclear fuel supply chain and will support a transition away from reliance on Russian supply.

About Urenco USA

As the only commercial scale uranium enrichment facility in the United States, Urenco USA plays an essential role in the nuclear fuel supply chain, which ends with the generation of reliable, secure, and sustainable energy for U.S. consumers and businesses. Our focus is on providing safe, cost-effective and reliable uranium enrichment services for power generation while working within a framework of high regulatory and safety standards. Our world-class facility is located in the southeastern corner of New Mexico and plays a vital role in supporting U.S. energy production, energy security, jobs, and manufacturing. The facility is a leading example of commercial investment in U.S. manufacturing and innovation. To learn more, visit www.urencousa.com.

Contact:
Jeremy Derryberry
Director of Communications, Urenco USA
[email protected]
505-975-3844