High-assay low-enriched uranium intelligence — updated daily.
Multiple advanced reactor developers, including Antares Nuclear, Valar Atomics, Oklo, and Deployable Energy, have achieved zero-power fuelled criticality. These milestones were supported by the DOE's Nuclear Energy Launch Pad initiative.
The US DOE's Nuclear Energy Launch Pad initiative has selected Lightbridge to build a HALEU extrusion demonstration facility. Concurrently, federal funding is accelerating TRISO fuel manufacturing to support advanced reactor deployment.
The US currently relies on a single 16-centrifuge cascade for HALEU enrichment while foreign entities process the majority of utility feed. Meanwhile, domestic UF6 conversion capacity remains concentrated among a few Western plants.
Centrus Energy Corp. plays a vital role in the nuclear fuel supply chain by supplying low-enriched uranium components, separative work units, and enriched uranium products to utility companies.
Driven by the explosive electricity demand from AI and data centers, companies like X-Energy and Oklo are developing advanced small modular reactors and fuel recycling services to meet commercial-scale energy needs.
Standard Nuclear Inc. is advancing the design and manufacturing of TRISO fuel in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, providing a critical fuel solution for next-generation advanced nuclear reactors.
Investments in uranium enrichment were stalled for over four decades following the Chernobyl accident, creating acute material shortages for today's advanced nuclear startups.
Centrus Energy is among six companies selected by the DOE for a 10-year HALEU deconversion service contract. This move highlights the ongoing challenges in the HALEU fuel fabrication and supply chain.
ASP Isotopes' UK subsidiary is engaging with nuclear regulators to establish HALEU production pathways. The company is also developing its proprietary Quantum Enrichment technology for the nuclear energy sector.
Russia's dominance in HALEU production forces Western nuclear startups to seek alternative fuels. In response, the U.S. DOE is injecting hundreds of millions into the HALEU Availability Program to secure domestic supply chains.
Global HALEU production shortages and exorbitant costs are delaying advanced nuclear projects like TerraPower's Natrium reactor. Consequently, some SMR developers are redesigning their cores to use standard low-enriched uranium.
Centrus Energy is expanding its Piketon, Ohio facility to boost HALEU production capacity following a $900 million task order from the DOE. The company also plans to launch a new centrifuge manufacturing plant in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.