Search Results

Framatome of France Secures First U.S. High-Assay Low-Enriched Uranium Nuclear Fuel Contract

French nuclear company Framatome announced that it has signed a commercial contract to supply one operating nuclear reactor in the United States with the world's first nuclear fuel with uranium-235 concentration higher than the industry standard of 5%, for use in replacing reactor fuel. Under the agreement, as part of the Advanced Fuel Management (AFM) program, Framatome will use AFM technology to supply higher-concentration fuel in batches starting in early 2028. The agreement includes the supply of a range of fuels to support long-term use of AFM fuel in the reactor, and includes additional fuel supply options for the future. The company did not disclose the name of the reactor that will use the fuel. Uranium-235...

2026-09-23

Canada's Cameco Signs Exclusive Offtake Agreement to Lock Up All Future Output from U.S. Paducah Laser Enrichment Plant

Canadian nuclear fuel giant Cameco has signed a new exclusive offtake agreement with Global Laser Enrichment (GLE), under which Cameco will purchase all nuclear fuel products from the future production of the Paducah Laser Enrichment Facility (PLEF) that GLE plans to build in Kentucky, United States. This major agreement was formally announced by Australia's Silex Systems. GLE was founded in 2007 to develop and commercialize laser-based uranium enrichment technology in the United States. The company is currently 51% owned by Silex Systems, the developer of SILEX laser enrichment technology, and 49% by Cameco. Silex Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Mike...

2026-09-17

BWXT Awarded $4 Million Conceptual Design Contract for Y-12 Lithium Processing Facility

Recently, BWX Technologies, Inc. (BWXT), a nuclear technology, nuclear components, and nuclear fuel manufacturing company headquartered in Lynchburg, Virginia, USA, announced that it has been awarded the conceptual design contract for the first module of the first lithium processing facility at the Y-12 National Security Complex by the U.S. Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA). It is understood that the Y-12 National Security Complex, located in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA, is managed by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) under the U.S. Department of Energy. Its core business...

2026-09-14

KHNP and France's Orano Expand Nuclear Fuel Supply Chain Cooperation

On September 8, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) and France's Orano SA (Orano) signed a letter of intent for long-term cooperation in uranium enrichment at the Élysée Palace in Paris. The signing ceremony was witnessed by the leaders of both South Korea and France. This letter of intent represents a further extension of the existing cooperation between the two parties. In April this year, during French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to South Korea, KHNP and Orano had signed a memorandum of understanding on global, mutually beneficial cooperation in the nuclear fuel cycle sector. Under the letter of intent, the two parties plan to deepen cooperation in the front-end of the nuclear fuel cycle. KHNP...

2026-09-09

UK Report Says Russia's Uranium Supply Share Could Rise to 36% by 2040

The UK-based non-governmental organization Center for Strategic Advantage (CSA) recently released a report stating that if countries advance uranium production according to existing plans and operate all deposits at full capacity, Russia's share of global uranium supply could rise from roughly one-quarter at present to 36% by 2040. The report argues that Western countries face issues such as insufficient investment and delays in permitting new mine development, making it difficult to meet future demand. Meanwhile, Russia's uranium mining capacity is expected to continue growing. Project director Gareth Heywood stated that by 2040, some countries' dependence on Russian uranium production could approach the level of their dependence on Russian natural gas and oil around 2022.

2026-09-08

Iran Still Denies IAEA Inspectors Access to Some Nuclear Facilities

A recent report shows that Iran has still not allowed International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors to access some of its nuclear facilities, including sites in Isfahan, Natanz, and Fordow that were previously damaged in airstrikes. The report states that the IAEA had previously detected over 440 kilograms of highly enriched uranium and nearly 8,600 kilograms of low-enriched uranium at these locations. Due to the current lack of sufficient information on the status and whereabouts of the relevant nuclear materials, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has expressed concerns over nuclear non-proliferation risks and called on Tehran to allow inspectors to access the facilities for verification as soon as possible. The report also mentions that inspectors...

2026-09-02

U.S. Marathon Fusion Demonstrates Hydrogen and Lithium Isotope Enrichment Technology

U.S.-based Marathon Fusion announced on August 27 that it has successfully demonstrated hydrogen and lithium isotope enrichment technology using its proprietary plasma centrifuge. The company stated that this advancement addresses the fuel cycle needs of fusion energy and related isotope supply requirements. In the deuterium-tritium fusion pathway, hydrogen isotope processing is critical to the continuous operation of fusion devices, while lithium isotope enrichment is closely tied to tritium production. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) released its "Fusion Science and Technology Roadmap" in June of this year, which identifies tritium processing as one of the core challenges, noting that related progress is essential for achieving sustained deuterium-tritium fusion operation and validating fusion as a large-scale energy form...

2026-08-28

South Korean Lawmaker Proposes Special Act on Nuclear-Powered Submarines

Yoo Yong-won, a lawmaker from South Korea's People Power Party (PPP), proposed a draft of the Special Act on the Nuclear-Powered Submarine Project on August 27, aiming to establish a dedicated legal basis for introducing nuclear-powered submarines to South Korea. The South Korean government is currently advancing the nuclear-powered submarine project as a national strategic initiative. At a press conference held at the National Assembly that day, Yoo stated that the existing Defense Acquisition Program Act and Nuclear Safety Act have limitations in fully reflecting the unique characteristics of military nuclear propulsion systems, making it necessary to enact a special law. The draft proposes establishing a Nuclear-Powered Submarine Strategic Committee under the president's leadership to deliberate on major related matters...

2026-08-28

U.S. NRIC Selects 13 Nuclear Energy Launch Pad Projects

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s National Reactor Innovation Center (NRIC) announced on August 24 that 13 new projects have been selected for the Nuclear Energy Launch Pad program. NRIC is based at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). NRIC Director Brad Tomer stated that this round of selections reflects developers' growing commitment to advancing related technologies. The program will provide companies with a priority pathway to DOE authorization, as well as access to expert resources, facility conditions, and targeted regulatory support to adv...

2026-08-26

Expansion Project Advances at Centrus Energy's Uranium Enrichment Facility in Piketon, Ohio

Centrus Energy said on August 24 that Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, Lieutenant Governor Jim Tressel, JobsOhio CEO J.P. Nauseef, along with state, federal, and local stakeholders, visited the company's uranium enrichment facility in Piketon, Ohio, to discuss the development of the U.S. domestic nuclear fuel supply chain and Ohio's role in it. In September 2025, Centrus Energy announced a multi-billion-dollar expansion of the Piketon uranium enrichment plant. Currently, the expansion...

2026-08-25

US LIS Technologies Initiates Site Preparation for Oak Ridge Laser Uranium Enrichment Project

LIS Technologies Inc. (LIST) announced on August 20 that it has initiated preliminary site preparation work on the "LIST Island" parcel at the Heritage Center of the East Tennessee Technology Park in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The 206-acre parcel is located within the former K-25 gaseous diffusion plant site. This phase of work includes environmental characterization, environmental assessment, and technical feasibility studies tailored to site conditions. These efforts will provide the preliminary basis for the company's planned commercial laser uranium enrichment headquarters and technology campus, LEU-3. Under current plans, the LEU-3 facility will host the company's FUEL project, namely the Future Uranium Enrichment by Laser project, and support its long-term operations and research...

2026-08-21

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...

2026-08-19

NANO Nuclear and QNI Sign Memorandum of Understanding to Advance Domestic HALEU Fuel Supply Cooperation in the U.S.

NANO Nuclear Energy Inc. (NANO Nuclear) and Quadrant Nuclear Industries, Inc. (QNI) announced on August 18 that the two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) establishing a non-binding framework for future high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) fuel supply cooperation. Under the MOU, the parties will engage in discussions regarding the supply of HALEU to be produced by QNI in the future and long-term offtake arrangements. The fuel in question is planned to come from QNI's proposed Vanguard facility at Idaho National Laboratory (INL). QNI stated that once the facility operates at full capacity, its annual HALEU production...

2026-08-19

South Korea's Nuclear Expansion Faces Fuel Supply Pressure as Enriched Uranium Costs Surge Nearly Sixfold in Seven Years

Against the backdrop of accelerating global nuclear power construction and surging electricity demand from AI data centers, the nuclear fuel supply chain is facing new tensions. Due to limited uranium enrichment capacity and sanctions affecting Russian-related supplies, international uranium enrichment prices have risen sharply over the past seven years. South Korea's nuclear expansion plans are consequently facing fuel procurement pressure, with industry experts concerned that if mid- to long-term nuclear fuel security proves insufficient, newly built nuclear units could face operational risks in the future. Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) recently disclosed that South Korea's domestic annual enriched uranium consumption is expected to increase from approximately 460 tons currently to about 540 tons next year. The rising demand mainly stems from the overlap between life-extension operations of some older nuclear units and the commissioning of new units...

2026-08-18

ASP Isotopes Plans Commercial Delivery of Multiple Stable Isotopes in Second Half of 2026

ASP Isotopes Inc. recently presented its expansion plans for isotope production, radiopharmaceuticals, and helium operations at Canaccord Genuity's 46th Annual Growth Conference. The company aims to begin commercial delivery of stable isotopes including silicon-28, carbon-14, and ytterbium-176 in the second half of 2026. Victor Petkov, the company's Chief Commercial Officer, stated that ASP Isotopes is leveraging its proprietary enrichment technology to serve electronics, nuclear medicine, and nuclear fuel-related markets. Currently, the company operates three production facilities in Pretoria, South Africa, primarily producing silicon-28 for semiconductor applications, as well as carbon-14 and ytterbium-176 for nuclear medicine-related uses. Regarding isotope supply...

2026-08-13