Urenco Hits 75% Milestone in U.S. Nuclear Enrichment Expansion

Urenco USA confirmed the milestone on Oct. 8, with the seventh cascade scheduled for later this year and the final unit expected by spring 2027. The project adds 700,000 separative work units (SWUs) to the facility’s existing 4.3 million SWU capacity. Jody Blackshear, Managing Director of Urenco USA, noted the project is currently running ahead of schedule and under budget, providing a necessary foundation for the company’s broader goal to increase production by more than 50% over the coming decade.

Energy security concerns remain the primary driver for this industrial pivot. While the U.S. leads the world in nuclear energy generation, it lacks a commensurate domestic fuel supply chain. Nearly half of global enrichment capacity remains under Russian control, creating a geopolitical bottleneck that threatens both current reactor operations and the development of advanced nuclear projects. Stanford Energy reports suggest that these supply vulnerabilities, compounded by rising costs and a projected 28% increase in global uranium demand by 2030, require immediate domestic infrastructure scaling.

Beyond enrichment, the U.S. is diversifying its uranium recovery efforts. In April, Uranium Energy Corp. launched production at its Burke Hollow project in South Texas, marking the first new in-situ recovery operation in the country in over a decade. With additional projects planned for Wyoming by 2027, the industry aims to transition the U.S. from a fuel importer to a competitive exporter in the global nuclear market.