FUEL & FUEL CYCLE | SECURING URANIUM


investments in the plant to maintain a long-term, reliable supply of enrichment services. Since 2006, the company has invested more than $5bn of private capital in the facility to provide a secure domestic supply of enriched uranium. “As the United States prepares to end the imports of


nuclear fuel from Russia, the installation of new uranium enrichment capacity will play a critical role in ensuring US utilities have the supply they need to support the future operations of their nuclear plants,” said John Kirkpatrick, Managing Director of Urenco USA. “With our current capacity expansion programme in the US, the capacity refurbishment programmes at Urenco’s other sites, and other allied sources of supply, we are confident that the country can make this important transition away from Russian uranium imports when the ban on Russian material goes fully into effect at the end of 2027.” Other US fuel cycle initiatives include exploring a


ConverDyn is exploring the potential for a new uranium hexafluoride (UF6) conversion facility at the Metropolis Works plant in Illinois. Source: ConverDyn


For example, the NRC recently approved a report titled “High Burnup for Pressurized Water Reactors” from Framatome. Enhancing nuclear fuel performance allows fuel cycle length extensions from 18 to 24 months for a large segment of the US light water reactor fleet. By extending fuel burnup capabilities, plant operators can further optimise fuel utilisation, reduce waste and support the continued generation, Framatome states. After nearly six years of work, the submission supports increased fuel burnup limits for Framatome’s GAIA and HTP fuel designs and forms part of the company’s Advanced Fuel Management programme, which focuses on bringing nuclear fuels with higher enrichment levels and advanced codes and methods that support higher fuel burnups for the existing US nuclear fleet. In a statement Lionel Gaiffe, Framatome’s Senior Executive Vice President, Fuel Business Unit, said the technology is now available “at a time where energy demands continue to increase and the industry needs long-term sustainability.” The NRC also recently approved the application of the


company’s suite of PWR advanced codes and methods to operating conditions with U-235 exceeding the standard 5%. Additionally, the NRC also approved a license amendment allowing Framatome to transport fresh PWR and BWR fuel assemblies within the US with up to 8% U-235. Meanwhile, Urenco USA has completed installation


and startup of its fourth new cascade of gas centrifuges in New Mexico, marking the half-way point of its current US capacity expansion programme. As the only US commercial-scale producer of enriched uranium, Urenco USA operates the National Enrichment Facility. That began operations in 2010 and has the capacity to meet approximately one-third of the enrichment needs of US commercial NPPs. The company’s newest cascade began producing low enriched uranium (LEU) on 30 March. All four cascades installed during the current expansion began operating ahead of schedule and are on budget. The company is installing 700,000 separative work units (SWU) of new capacity at the site between 2025-2027. Urenco USA intends to further expand the New Mexico plant’s capacity by up to 2.1m SWU in the future, based on the needs of its customers and supported by their long-term contracts. Urenco USA also intends to refurbish existing capacity at the site starting in 2027 as part of ongoing capital


28 | May 2026 | www.neimagazine.com


potential new uranium conversion plant. ConverDyn has reportedly retained an unnamed engineering firm to evaluate the timeline, cost, and potential for modularity of a new uranium hexafluoride (UF6) conversion facility. ConverDyn, a partnership between Solstice Advanced


Materials and General Atomics, is the exclusive marketing agent for material produced at the Metropolis Works plant in Illinois, currently the only domestic US uranium conversion facility. This plant would be in addition to existing plans by Solstice Advanced Materials to expand the capacity of the current Metropolis Works. Solstice has identified a short-term supply gap of about 3,000 tonnes of UF6. In November 2017 UF6 production at Metropolis was temporarily suspended pending an improvement in business conditions. The decision was a result of “significant challenges” faced by the nuclear industry at that time, including a worldwide oversupply of UF6. The plant was restarted in July 2023. In February, Solstice Advanced Materials announced that its Metropolis Works is projected to produce over 10 kilotonnes (10 kt) of UF6 in 2026, which represents about a 20% increase from its planned output in 2024.


Building fuel stability All these recent developments across the US nuclear fuel landscape come as the World Nuclear Fuel Cycle Conference 2026 highlighted how geopolitics and the global focus on energy security and sovereignty have fundamentally reshaped how governments view nuclear energy and its supply chains. However, despite progress, conversion, enrichment and fuel fabrication providers described a sector racing to add capacity while navigating demand uncertainty. Delegates at the conference heard how new facilities are being announced and restarted, particularly in the United States and Europe, but, as one panellist summarised the situation: the industry faces “abundant ambition, but constrained commitment.” At the same time, demand growth is outpacing mine development timelines with industry leaders warning of an increasing supply gap unless investment flows into new mines, life extensions and innovative mining techniques. The need for secure and reliable energy in the US and elsewhere is projected to rise substantially in the coming years, driven by a range of well-known and now converging factors. The long-term success of nuclear power in meeting that demand will ultimately depend on the long-term sustainable and secure availability of fuel. ■


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