Westinghouse will invest $1 billion to construct a new plant fabricating fuel with uranium enriched up to 8 percent uranium-235 on the site of its Columbia Fuel Fabrication Facility in Hopkins, South Carolina. Pre-construction preparation is complete, and the company targets 600 metric tons of uranium of output per year beginning in 2030.
Where LEU+ sits
LEU+ refers to fuel enriched between 5 and 10 percent U-235 — above conventional light-water reactor LEU but below the 20 percent threshold that defines HALEU. The existing CFFF is a licensed Category III fuel fabrication facility permitted to process low-enriched uranium below 10 percent, and the planned LEU+ plant stays inside that envelope, keeping the licensing question focused on process and safety analysis rather than a new category of material.
The licensing track
Since 2024, Westinghouse has engaged the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in pre-application meetings covering management measures, integrated safety analysis, a criticality safety program and environmental review, ahead of submitting a license amendment application. Subsurface investigations and foundation planning at the site are already finished.
Westinghouse targets 600 metric tons of uranium per year of fuel enriched up to 8 percent U-235, beginning in 2030.
New process, new pellets
The LEU+ plant will use a different technology and configuration from the existing LEU line, which Westinghouse says will enable more efficient operations and greater automation. It plans to use its ammonia-free "dry" process for converting uranium hexafluoride into uranium dioxide powder, currently deployed at its U.K. fuel fabrication facility. The fuel will use Westinghouse's Advanced Doped Pellet Technology (ADOPT), which incorporates chromia and alumina.
The demand case: 24-month cycles
The fuel is intended for existing pressurized water reactors. Where conventional LEU fuel typically supports refueling every 18 months, LEU+ could potentially allow 24-month cycles, enabling longer continuous operation. Westinghouse expects some of its LEU customers to shift to LEU+ once the facility operates, and states it was the first company to deploy LEU+ fuel in the United States with lead test assemblies.
The competitive picture
Framatome has already received NRC approval to fabricate LEU+ at its Richland, Washington facility, including a second license amendment granted in July 2026 specifically for fuel enriched up to 10 percent U-235, with production expected to begin in 2027. Westinghouse's announcement came days after the NRC approved renewal and update of the AP1000 design certification.
LEU+ and HALEU push on the same supply chain from different directions: higher enrichment, new licensing envelopes and new fabrication capacity. What happens at Hopkins will be an early indicator of how fast that chain can be rebuilt.
This article was assisted by AI analysis. Please refer to the original source for official information.