Urenco USA Plans Significant Expansion of U.S. Uranium Enrichment Capacity

EUNICE, N.M. – Urenco USA announced today that it will expand the capacity of the United States’ only commercial uranium enrichment facility by nearly 50%, marking a major commitment to strengthening the U.S. nuclear fuel supply chain as the country expands 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, located in Eunice, New Mexico, enabling the increased production of low enriched uranium (LEU) vital to the nation’s energy security. 

Urenco will install 2.1 million separative work units (SWU) of new enrichment capacity using the company’s proven gas-centrifuge enrichment technology. During the expansion, up to 24 cascades of centrifuges will be installed, with the initial cascades starting production in 2032 and additional cascades installed through 2036.

LEU serves as the foundational fuel for America’s existing operating fleet of commercial light water reactors, which generate nearly 20% of the nation’s electricity. LEU will also serve as essential feedstock to produce high-assay low enriched uranium (HALEU) in the future, which will be used in advanced reactor designs planned for deployment in the 2030s.

This major expansion project 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. 

Since 2006, the company has invested more than $5 billion of private capital in the facility to provide a secure domestic supply of enriched uranium and is the only company to have licensed, built, operated, and expanded a commercial uranium enrichment facility in the United States. 

The facility has an existing annual capacity of 4.3 million SWU, which is approximately one-third of current U.S. demand, and has an ongoing expansion project to add 700,000 SWU of capacity that will be completed in 2027. Urenco USA also intends to refurbish existing capacity at the site starting in 2027 as part of ongoing capital investments in the facility to maintain a long-term, reliable supply of enrichment services for its customers. With these investments, installed capacity at the facility will grow to more than 7 million SWU over the next decade. 

The U.S. capacity program is part of a larger effort by Urenco Global to now install 4.6 million of new SWU enrichment capacity at sites in the United States, the Netherlands, and Germany over the next decade. With four operating production facilities, Urenco provides a diversity of supply that no other Western enrichment company can offer to operators of commercial nuclear power plants in the United States and allied countries.

“For more than fifteen years, Urenco USA has provided its U.S. utility customers with a reliable domestic supply of enriched uranium to power their nuclear reactors,” said Boris Schucht, CEO of Urenco Global, “This expansion reinforces our commitment to a resilient U.S. nuclear fuel supply chain focused on meeting the long-term needs of our customers as well as supporting U.S. energy security through continued investment by Urenco.”

Urenco USA has always focused on being a reliable long-term supplier to America’s commercial nuclear power plants, with a proven record of delivering fuel from our New Mexico facility to U.S. utilities,” said Sarah Riedel, Head of Sales for Urenco. “We thank our customers for their trust in us and the confidence they have in our capabilities. Their commitments through new long-term contracts support our investment decision to expand this vital facility that will fuel their operations for decades to come.”

“We are thrilled to be making this major investment in New Mexico and for the jobs and economic benefits it will bring to our local communities and the state,” said John Kirkpatrick, Managing Director of Urenco USA. “This is the most transformative expansion decision for Urenco in the past decade, and our New Mexico employees are ready to fuel the continued growth of the U.S. nuclear power industry by bringing this additional capacity online. We are already preparing for the expansion and are excited to continue the work done onsite in recent years to add new capacity to our existing plant.”

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 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 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

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