Centrus Energy Corp.'s expansion of U.S. uranium enrichment capacity is getting a fresh boost from Oklo Inc., which has agreed to make prepayments for future HALEU deliveries under newly signed multi-year contracts. The prepayments are intended to support construction of new enrichment capacity with Centrus, the companies said on Nov. 12, 2026.

Piketon at the center

The HALEU covered by the Oklo contracts will be produced at Centrus's American Centrifuge Plant in Pike County, Ohio. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in 2029. Centrus recently completed and began shipping its first new centrifuge as part of its domestic uranium enrichment expansion — a tangible sign that the buildout is moving from planning to hardware.

Centrus said it has secured $5.4 billion in customer contracts and commitments to purchase low-enriched uranium (LEU) and HALEU from the new capacity. That figure spans multiple customers and is not identified as the value of the Oklo agreements alone.

A de-risked supply chain

Centrus said it has assembled a complete, unobligated supply chain to serve both commercial and national security markets, de-risking its buildout. The company is pioneering production of HALEU and leading the effort to restore U.S. uranium enrichment capabilities at scale for clean energy, energy security, and national security needs.

'The definitive agreements show Centrus is positioned to meet substantial upcoming commercial HALEU demand,' said Centrus CEO Amir Vexler. He said Oklo's prepayments add to others received and help fund Centrus's buildout.

What it means for HALEU supply

The Oklo contracts are one of the clearest signals yet that advanced reactor developers are willing to put money behind future enrichment capacity. For Centrus, customer prepayments reduce the capital risk of adding centrifuge capacity before fuel is delivered. For the broader HALEU market, the arrangement creates a template: reactor developers help finance enrichment, and enrichment capacity in turn anchors reactor deployment schedules.

The contracts formalize a June 2026 letter of intent between Oklo and Centrus. Specific fuel volumes, pricing, and the amount of the prepayments were not disclosed. Even so, the deal adds to Centrus's backlog and reinforces Piketon's role as a hub for both LEU and HALEU production.

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