A subsidiary of NANO Nuclear Energy has been recognized for its role in two U.S. Department of Energy transportation missions, including the removal of approximately 1.7 metric tons of HALEU from Japan — described as the largest single international uranium shipment in the history of the National Nuclear Security Administration.

The Japan HALEU removal

Secured Transportation Services LLC (STS) served as DOE's prime logistics contractor for the Japan mission. Its responsibilities spanned international transportation logistics, licensing, security coordination and delivery of the material — along with associated spent nuclear fuel — to designated U.S. facilities. Moving HALEU across borders requires packaging certified for the material, transport security arrangements and coordination with multiple national authorities; the mission's scale made it a benchmark for what such operations can achieve.

Approximately 1.7 metric tons of HALEU moved from Japan to the United States — the largest single international uranium shipment in NNSA history.

Venezuela HEU and the advanced fuel supply chain

STS also coordinated U.S. receipt and inland transportation of roughly 13.5 kilograms of highly enriched uranium removed from a dormant research reactor, delivering it securely to the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. That material is expected to be processed for future use in the U.S. advanced nuclear fuel supply chain — a reminder that recovered HEU can be downblended into the enrichment range that advanced reactors require.

Recognition

The Japan HALEU Removal team and the Venezuela HEU Removal team received 2026 DOE Secretary of Energy Achievement Awards, presented on September 28, 2026. The company said both missions support national security, international nonproliferation cooperation and a more resilient fuel supply.

A commercial shipment alongside the government work

STS recently completed a specialized uranium hexafluoride shipment to LIS Technologies Inc., supporting that company's uranium enrichment technology development and testing. STS led logistics and packaging, working with a subcontractor to modify and use a UX-30 transportation overpack for the material's 5B UF6 cylinders, and contracted Tri-State Secure Trucking for over-the-road transport.

Why transport matters to HALEU

Logistics sits upstream of enrichment and fabrication but is no less binding. Certified packaging, licensed routes and cleared carriers determine whether recovered or imported material reaches a processing facility at all. As more HALEU moves between countries — for removals, recycling or fuel supply — transportation capacity becomes part of the supply chain's effective size, not a background detail.

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