Urenco starts first commercial LEU+ production in the West
The New Mexico enrichment plant has filled its first cylinder of uranium enriched to between 5% and 10% U-235.
Urenco USA has produced its first cylinder of LEU+ at its National Enrichment Facility in New Mexico. The company calls it the first commercial LEU+ production in the Western world.
LEU+ sits between standard reactor fuel (3–5% U-235) and HALEU (10–20%). It lets existing light water reactors run longer between refuellings, and some advanced reactors are designed to use it. It can also be used as feedstock for HALEU. The NRC authorised the plant to enrich up to 10% in September 2025.
Urenco is adding 700,000 SWU of centrifuge capacity in New Mexico. It is also planning a new 2.1 million SWU plant, with construction starting in 2029 and first cascades in 2032.
Source: World Nuclear News