Federal procurement data has put a number on the U.S. government's bet on domestic HALEU enrichment. American Centrifuge Operating, LLC (ACO), a Bethesda, Maryland-based subsidiary of Centrus Energy Corp., was awarded $915.9 million in federal contract obligations between 18 October 2025 and 18 October 2026 — all of it from the Department of Energy, according to USAspending.gov data read on 18 October 2026 and compiled by Federal Bid Alerts.

The anchor award: $900 million for new HALEU capacity

ACO's largest contract is a $900.0 million DOE task order dated 6 July 2026 (contract number 89243226FNE400212). Its stated purpose is to establish new annual domestic commercial high-assay low-enriched uranium capacity and begin production of HALEU UF6 for purchase by DOE. The obligation is booked under NAICS 325180, Other Basic Inorganic Chemical Manufacturing — a classification that reflects the chemical conversion step as much as the enrichment itself.

A second, older line: $332 million for cascade demonstration

A separate $332.0 million contract awarded from 30 November 2022 (89243223CNE000030) covers completion of the HALEU cascade demonstration and extended production. That contract also showed spending activity within the last twelve months, indicating the demonstration-to-production transition is still being funded in parallel with the new capacity build.

How the money breaks down

Of ACO's trailing-twelve-month obligations, $900.0 million falls under NAICS 325180 and $15.9 million under NAICS 221113, Nuclear Electric Power Generation. DOE was the sole paying agency across the full $915.9 million. ACO is classified as a small business and holds UEI L8VHV5CNBV97.

A $900.0 million task order explicitly aimed at establishing new annual domestic commercial HALEU capacity and beginning HALEU UF6 production for DOE purchase.

Why it matters for the HALEU market

The scale is notable. A single $900 million task order aimed explicitly at new annual commercial HALEU capacity signals that DOE is funding production capability rather than only demonstration. For advanced reactor developers waiting on fuel, the question shifts from whether domestic HALEU capacity will be built to how quickly the Piketon, Ohio expansion and its supporting supply chain can convert obligations into delivered cylinders of HALEU UF6.

This article was assisted by AI analysis. Please refer to the original source for official information.