Share Article
Urenco USA Celebrates Future Expansion with U.S. Secretary of Energy
18 August 2026 EventsEUNICE, N.M. - Urenco USA today celebrated the future expansion of the country's only commercial uranium enrichment facility with a groundbreaking ceremony attended by U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, Urenco CEO Boris Schucht, and other company leadership.
In June, the company announced that it will expand the capacity of the facility by nearly 50%, marking a major commitment to strengthening the U.S. nuclear fuel supply chain as the country increases the use of nuclear power. This strategic, multi-billion-dollar investment will fund the construction of a new enrichment plant at Urenco USA’s National Enrichment Facility in Eunice, New Mexico, enabling the enhanced production of low enriched uranium (LEU) vital to the nation’s energy security.
In his remarks following the groundbreaking, Urenco’s CEO Boris Schucht said:
“We’re making this substantial commitment to expand our U.S. facility to serve our US customers’ needs. But this expansion also supports the U.S. Department of Energy’s goals to accelerate the deployment of new domestic capacity, strengthen the U.S. nuclear fuel supply chain, and reinvigorate the nuclear industrial base.
“I want to use this opportunity to thank you Secretary Wright, your team and the whole Administration for creating this momentum for the nuclear industry. This is really an exciting time in the U.S. nuclear industry, and we are proud to be a part of it. Thank you for your leadership and support.
“I would also like to take the opportunity to thank our customers for their confidence in us. Urenco USA would not exist without them. We built this plant at our customers’ request, and they backed it with long-term contracts. It is a commercial, world-class facility developed without any public funding. To date, we have invested more than $5 billion in the site. This will now increase to more than $8 billion. We are delighted to retain our customers’ trust, which has made this expansion possible.”
During the expansion, Urenco will install 2.1 million separative work units (SWU) of new enrichment capacity using the company’s proven gas-centrifuge enrichment technology in 24 cascades of centrifuges, with the initial cascades starting production in 2032 and additional cascades installed through 2036. The expansion will support between 300-600 U.S. jobs during the peak construction period and 70 jobs in long-term operations at the site. Urenco USA currently employs more than 500 U.S. staff and long-term contractors at the facility, which has been in commercial operation since 2010.
About Urenco USA
As America’s only commercial-scale 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 has an existing annual capacity of 4.3 million SWU and has an ongoing expansion project to add 700,000 SWU of capacity that will be completed in 2027.
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 of production.
Urenco USA’s essential role in the domestic 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.
Contact:
Jeremy Derryberry
Director of Communications, Urenco USA
jeremy.derryberry@urenco.com
505-975-3844
Share Article
About Urenco
Urenco is an international supplier of uranium enrichment services, fuel cycle products and related solutions with sustainability at the core of our business. Operating in a pivotal area of the nuclear fuel supply chain for over 50 years, Urenco understands the importance of energy security and facilitates the reliable delivery of low carbon electricity generation for consumers around the world.
With its head office in London, UK, Urenco’s global presence ensures diversity and security of supply for customers through enrichment facilities in Germany, the Netherlands, the UK and the USA. Through our technology and the expertise of our people, the Urenco Group provides safe, cost effective and reliable services, operating within a framework of high environmental, social and governance standards, complementing international safeguards.
Urenco is making a positive contribution to global climate change goals through our core business and we are committed to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2040.
We are committed to continued investment in the responsible management of nuclear materials; innovation activities with clear sustainability benefits, such as nuclear medicine, industrial efficiency and research; and nurturing the next generation of scientists and engineers.
Media enquiries