UK Backs Capenhurst HALEU Plant With £300 Million
The UK government has committed £300 million to establish a sovereign high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) capability by 2031, with Urenco awarded £196 million to deliver a first-of-a-kind HALEU facility at Capenhurst. The funding is co-funded alongside government spending and is being drawn down as project milestones are achieved, according to statements in the House of Lords on 11 November 2026.
The Capenhurst project has broken ground and completed design milestones. The government says it believes the facility is on track for start-up in 2031. Ministers described a resilient, secure nuclear fuel supply chain as essential for energy security and for growing the nuclear reactor fleet, and recognized the HALEU programme's connection to the small modular reactor (SMR) programme.
HALEU is vital for new reactors, particularly small modular reactors, and the only material currently available for that kind of process is from China and Russia, said Lord Rooker.
SMR and Wylfa Link
The minister said she had been assured that issues at Capenhurst will not delay the SMR programme for replacement of the Wylfa power station in Anglesey. The exchange underscores how closely the UK's HALEU plans are tied to its broader advanced reactor ambitions.
The UK is also working closely with European partners to develop a secure and resilient HALEU supply, which the government says will play an important role in producing medical radioisotopes. London is working with the G7 on supply chains free of Russian influence, and the minister cited a close working partnership with the United States on nuclear policy, including good cooperation at the G20 Ministers' meeting.
The Capenhurst project is one of several Western efforts to reduce reliance on Russian and Chinese HALEU. Its 2031 target places it alongside a growing list of enrichment and fuel-cycle projects intended to serve advanced reactors and existing light-water reactors.
This article was assisted by AI analysis. Please refer to the original source for official information.