A nuclear fuel consortium that’s operating several uranium enrichment plants in the United States and Europe has installed the first new centrifuges for an expansion project.
The new centrifuges were installed in an existing centrifuge hall at the company’s enrichment site in Eunice, New Mexico.
This project will increase enrichment capacity at the site by approximately 15%, providing an additional 700,000 Separative Work Units (SWU) per year. Urenco US is on schedule to begin producing enriched uranium from newly installed centrifuges in 2025, according to the company.
Enrichment site in United States’ Eunice
“Our enrichment site in Eunice is ideally located to serve our US customers and the wider global market to help meet energy security and decarbonization goals,” said Boris Schucht, Urenco CEO.
This facility is claimed to have been successfully operated for more than a decade, and the expansion is further proof of the domestic supply it consistently delivers, according to the CEO.
Schucht stated that the company is intending to further expand its capacity in the United States as the strong momentum in the nuclear industry continues.
“This will not only mean an even stronger US nuclear fuel supply chain, but more jobs, skills, and development so we can continue to attract and retain the next generation of operators, engineers and scientists for the future of this industry,” he added .
Uranium hexafluoride is used for enrichment
The company uses uranium hexafluoride, a volatile, toxic white solid, in the process of enriching uranium to produce fuel for nuclear reactors and nuclear weapons.
To begin the enrichment process, uranium hexafluoride (UF6) is heated and converted into a gas. At Urenco’s enrichment facilities, employees connect the transport container holding UF6 to the plant feed system. The container is then heated to vaporize the UF6 and turn it into a gas at sub-atmospheric pressure.
Urenco feeds the UF6 gas into a centrifuge casing containing a cylindrical rotor that spins at high speed, separating uranium’s two isotopes. The heavier isotope uranium238 (U238) is forced closer to the cylinder wall than the lighter uranium235 (U235). As a result, the UF6 gas closer to the wall is depleted in U235, and the UF6 gas nearer the rotor axis is slightly enriched in U235.
“We repeat the process many times in a series of centrifuges, known as cascades, until we achieve the desired levels of U235 enrichment to meet our customers’ specifications, typically between 3% and 5%,” said Urenco .
Only commercial enrichment facility in the United States
The company claimed that Urenco’s Eunice site is the only commercial enrichment facility in the United States. In 2023, its annual production was 4.4 million SWU (Separative Work Unit). The site has the physical space and license to further expand its annual production up to 10 million SWU.
The site’s expansion project, scheduled for completion in 2027, is the first to be delivered under Urenco’s capacity expansion program, and will strengthen the nuclear fuel supply chain both in the US and globally. In total, under Urenco’s current expansion, 1.8 million SWU will be delivered across three projects, including two others at Urenco’s sites in Germany and the Netherlands, according to the company.
“Today’s announcement in Eunice underscores the importance of Urenco’s work not only to New Mexico but to the nation and the world,” said Lujan Grisham , Governor of New Mexico .
“This expansion will bolster New Mexico’s economy, enhance national security, and help the US meet net zero emission targets that will protect our planet from the adverse effects of climate change. I appreciate Urenco’s investment in our state and wish them well in this important endeavor.”
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