Key facts
- Urenco USA's National Enrichment Facility in New Mexico is 75% through its latest expansion.
- The facility is installing 700,000 SWUs of new capacity, aiming for over 7 million SWUs in a decade.
- The U.S. currently imports nearly half of its enriched uranium needs, with Russia controlling significant global capacity.
- Global uranium demand is projected to climb 28% by 2030 and more than double by 2040.
- Uranium Energy Corp. started production at its Burke Hollow project in South Texas, the first new ISR uranium operation in the U.S. in over a decade.
The United States is advancing its goal of nuclear fuel independence with Urenco USA's National Enrichment Facility in New Mexico reaching a significant milestone in its expansion. The facility has initiated production from the sixth of eight new centrifuge cascades, a crucial step in bolstering the domestic nuclear fuel supply chain. This expansion aims to reduce the nation's reliance on foreign nuclear fuel imports, a priority for the current administration seeking to reestablish U.S. leadership in nuclear energy.
The National Enrichment Facility currently produces about one-third of the country's enriched uranium demand. With the ongoing expansion and plans for a new plant by 2029, Urenco aims to significantly increase its capacity to meet rising demand driven by a projected nuclear renaissance and the energy needs of the AI boom. This development is seen as vital for U.S. energy security, addressing vulnerabilities associated with tight global uranium supplies, geopolitical risks, and increasing costs.
In parallel, Uranium Energy Corp. has started production at its Burke Hollow project in South Texas, marking the first new in-situ recovery (ISR) uranium operation in the U.S. in over a decade. This move further supports the nation's efforts to reduce dependence on global uranium supply chains.