Urenco USA Breaks Ground on National Enrichment Facility Expansion, Plans to Add 2.1 Million SWU Capacity

On August 18, local time, Urenco USA held a groundbreaking ceremony in Eunice, New Mexico, United States, to launch the future expansion of its commercial uranium enrichment facility. U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright, Urenco Group Chief Executive Officer Boris Schucht, and company management attended the ceremony.

Urenco USA is the only commercial-scale uranium enrichment producer in the United States, operating the National Enrichment Facility (NEF). The company announced in June this year that it would increase the facility's capacity by nearly 50%. This expansion is part of a multi-billion-dollar investment, with plans to build a new enrichment plant at the existing Eunice site to increase low-enriched uranium (LEU) production and serve the fuel supply needs of U.S. nuclear power plants.

Schucht stated after the ceremony that the company is expanding its U.S. operations to meet customer demand while supporting the U.S. Department of Energy's goals of accelerating the deployment of new domestic capacity, strengthening the nuclear fuel supply chain, and revitalizing the nuclear industry base. He also noted that Urenco USA is a commercial facility built and operated with support from long-term customer contracts, without the use of public funds; the company has invested over $5 billion in the project to date, and cumulative investment will exceed $8 billion after the expansion.

Under the plan, Urenco will employ mature gas centrifuge uranium enrichment technology to add 2.1 million separative work units (SWU) of annual enrichment capacity across 24 centrifuge cascades. The first centrifuges are expected to enter operation in 2032, with the remaining equipment to be installed by 2036. During the peak construction period, the expansion project is expected to create 300 to 600 jobs in the United States, with an additional 70 jobs added during the long-term operational phase.

The National Enrichment Facility entered commercial operation in 2010 and currently has an annual capacity of 4.3 million SWU, meeting approximately one-third of the uranium enrichment demand of U.S. commercial nuclear power plants. The facility is also advancing an expansion project to add 700,000 SWU of capacity, expected to be completed in 2027.

Since its first product delivery in 2012, Urenco USA's cumulative production has exceeded 50 million SWU. The company currently employs more than 500 U.S. employees and long-term contractors at the Eunice facility and stated that it will continue to provide uranium enrichment services within the framework of regulatory and safety standards.