Uranium Enrichment Facility Finishes Additional Expansion in New Mexico

Urenco USA fired up the fifth cascade of its new uranium enrichment setup at their New Mexico facility. Production officially kicked off on June 22.

Boosting the Domestic Supply of Enriched Uranium

This new cascade is part of a larger two-year plan. By early 2027, the company aims to add 700,000 separative work units (SWU) of enrichment capacity. This includes getting three more cascades up and running.

Right now, the New Mexico facility has an annual capacity of 4.3 million SWU, which covers about one-third of current U.S. demand.

This expansion directly supports the U.S. Department of Energy’s goals. The department wants to speed up domestic production and strengthen the nuclear fuel supply chain. This will help meet the growing demand from nuclear power plants in the U.S. and allied countries.

A Ten-Year Plan

Starting in 2027, Urenco USA will begin refurbishing the older cascades currently at the site. To handle this project, they have started construction on a centrifuge storage building. This space will hold the old equipment until it is ready for future disposal, and the building is on track to be finished in early 2027.

In 2029, Urenco will start building a completely new enrichment plant at the facility. This new addition will provide another 2.1 million SWU of capacity. The initial cascades will start production in 2032, and the company will keep installing new cascades through 2036.

Thanks to these multi-billion-dollar investments, the total capacity at the facility will grow to more than 7 million SWU over the next 10 years.

“The prospects for the U.S. nuclear industry are exciting, and we are supporting it with our current capacity installation and the larger projects in the decade ahead,” John Kirkpatrick, Managing Director of Urenco USA, shared. “As the U.S. nuclear industry works to grow significantly in the coming years, our teams are demonstrating what is possible when plans become actions and results.”